The Red Thread
by AuriMoon
Summary: (AU) The actress that plays Ladybug in the world phenomenon Miraculous movies and the actor that plays Chat Noir hate each other in real life. Years later, they start talking on a dating app, without knowing each other's real identity. Oh, and also: Astruc has decided to make a sequel and is calling out the old cast! I wonder how's that gonna go.
1. Prologue

_**My dear Miraculers,**_

_**First of all, let me thank my wonderful beta readers and friends, RoseySparrow and sweetXDmelody, for all the work they put into helping me make this story better and for making me believe it was worth sharing it with all of the FanFiction community. You girls are amazing.**_

_**It's been a year since I published for the FIRST time, so I decided to start a new story today. **_

_**(Yay! Happy birthday to 'Spots Off, Claws Out'! xD) **_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

"I can't believe Gabriel Agreste escaped..." Ladybug sighed, and when she didn't get an answer from her feline partner, she frowned with concern. Chat Noir had been behaving in a weird way ever since they'd defeated Hawkmoth.

"At least he doesn't have his Miraculous anymore." Chat said dryly, avoiding looking at her. Ladybug nodded.

Leaning over a random balcony on a Parisien building, they gazed towards the horizon while the sun started to come out. It was quite the view.

Ladybug breathed in, as if she wanted to assemble all her courage, and said, "Chat, the danger has passed and I'm ready to let you know who I am."

Chat Noir's head turned to look at her. His eyes widened with surprise and filled with fear.

Ladybug smiled and misinterpreted his fears, "It's okay, Kitty. I'm scared too." She breathed in and then out, "I love you, and I want you to know who I am, just like I want to know who you are."

"I love you too, My Lady." He answered, his eyes filling up with tears, "But-"

"Shhh" She interrupted, with a smile beaming on her lips. "No buts." She slowly closed the space between them and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was chaste and loving.

_**Zhi Ruo's cheeks turned a shade of pink. 'Never again.' She thought.**_

Once their lips drew apart, she whispered:

"Tikki, Spots Off"

The screen was filled with a red and white light animation and then it became black, followed by the credits of the movie.

**Director & Screenwriter**

Thomas Astruc

**Cast**

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug — Zhi Ruo Léi

Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir — Adrien Devereaux

Tikki — Lucie Alard

Plagg — Simon Laurent

Gabriel Agreste/Hawkmoth — Sean Bean

Alya Césaire/Rena Rouge — Eloise Bonnaire

Nino Lahiffe/Carapace — Mattheo Leblanc

Chloé Bourgeois/Queen Bee — Alice Martin

Master Fuu — Jackie Chang

Tom Dupain — Gérard Depardieu

Sabine Cheng — Sandrine Holt

Sabrina Raincomprix — Adele Exarchopoulos

Alix Kubdel — Olivia Cooke

Ivan Bruel — Tye Sheridan

(...)

Zhi Ruo felt her chest burst with happiness when the people in the theater started to excitedly applaud. She felt her eyes fill up with tears of joy, mixed with nostalgia and sadness. This was the last movie in the series.

When she auditioned at the casting call for the role of Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Ladybug, she never thought she'd actually get the part, let alone imagine that Miraculous would become as famous as series such as Harry Potter or Star Wars.

She had started filming the movies when she was around 13. As the audiences grew, the movies started to be launched once a year. Now, she was 17 and she had just watched the last movie of the sequels amongst the fans. She had entered the theatre with Alice Martin — the actress who played Chloe Bourgeois —, ironically, her best friend, both wearing a disguise. They did it every time a Miraculous movie was released. They would obviously go to the premiere with all of the cast members, and a few days later, just for fun, they would visit a random theatre and bless the fans with their presence at the end of the movie. It actually became a thing. Fans would watch the movie countless times, just to get a chance to see them.

Zhi looked at Alice, taking her wig off when she saw her friend doing the same. Tears were rolling down the blond girl's face. Zhi smiled at her, knowing that no one would understand better what she was feeling right now. They both got up and fiercely hugged each other — laughing and crying at the same time.

"Is that?..."

"OMG!"

"Ladybug!"

"Oh my GOD, that's Zhi Ruo Léi!"

"Alice Martin!"

"Marinette!"

"Chloe Bourgeois!"

"Ladybug!"

The girls snorted and burst into giggles at their fans' hysteria and soon they were surrounded by the enthusiastic crowd.

* * *

**_Thanks for reading! _**

**_Stay Miraculous!_**

**_AuriMoon*_**


	2. Bad Influences

**_Bad influences_**

"When is it coming out, again? You do know that Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies, _ever_! Don't you?" Asked Alice before bringing her hot teacup to her mouth and sipping carefully.

Zhi Ruo giggled as she placed a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the coffee table in her garden, where they usually talked and had tea when the weather was nice while Alice visited. It just turned Springtime, but it was warmer than usual today.

Zhi Ruo still lived in Paris, in a perfect little house with a beautiful backyard/terrace she had bought — except for when she recorded abroad. Alice lived in London close to her parents, and Zhi was lucky that she had managed to come visit her for three days, since Alice's life had been a little chaotic lately.

She was now 25 and Alice 26. It had been eight years since the last Miraculous movie came out, both of them were still incredibly famous, and of all of the cast, they were the ones who had gotten luckiest regarding their acting careers. Well, aside from Eloise Bonnaire (Alya Césaire).

Zhi had just been cast to play another leading role in a drama called "Where the flowers grow" and next month was the premiere release of her last starring role — Fa Mulan — in Disney's Mulan.

"The premiere is next month. On the 25th. You know how it goes..." Zhi gesticulated, sitting sideways on the sofa next to Alice, so as to face her friend. "Red carpet, pictures, interviews, some autographs... Although, since it's a Disney production, it will be a bit different, more like a gala instead of a premiere. They want me to sing now. Geez." Zhi Ruo executed an eye roll Ladybug would be proud of.

"You're lucky you're not a bad singer." Alice teased.

Zhi giggled, "They're lucky they found that out. You know me, I don't sing in public anymore, to avoid this kind of thing, mostly. I want an acting career, not a singing one. I was in a very good mood and didn't even noticed I was humming to myself." She sighed dramatically, "They are going to overdo it. I'm sure."

Alice chuckled and nodded, grabbing a cookie and giving it a tiny bite.

"But in the end... They do it with such style, that people just stare in awe." Laughed Zhi, and after a couple of seconds, she looked at her blonde friend, "Have you decided if you are coming?" She asked, making her best big puppy eyes.

"Where is it?" She asked sadly, already knowing the answer.

"Hollywood..."

"I don't think I can go, Z." Alice sighed, apologizing with her eyes, "My mum is getting her transplant around that time. I can't be on the other side of the world... The operation is scheduled for the 23th, so I can't make plans for the following days."

Zhi sighed nodding, "Family first." She smiled understandingly, "How is she doing?"

Alice's mother had been diagnosed with Leukemia last year and was going to receive a bone marrow transplant.

"Oddly enough, she is doing well." Alice smiled sadly, "She is responding well to the treatment... Also, she is going through all these painful procedures and still she is the one that makes me and dad laugh, instead of the other way around. I think the news of getting a new transplant made her believe she can be saved, and now she is more cheerful than ever."

"I'm glad to hear that." Zhi said, "How have you been doing?"

Alice sighed and let a desperate chuckle escape her lips, "I'm... I don't know... Honestly, I have no idea." Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay..." Started Zhi, jumping from her seat to hug her friend, "Everything will be okay." She promised, knowing deep down that it was an empty promise, "You're gonna get through this." She felt Alice's body shudder against hers.

"I-I'm scared..." She whispered, sobbing against Zhi's shoulder, and holding her tighter.

"I know, sweetheart." Zhi whispered back, "I know."

"W-What if-?"

"Shh." Interrupted Zhi Ruo rubbing Alice's back, "No what ifs." She pulled away from Alice and looked at her swollen blue eyes, "Your mum is going to be fine." She said, "She is getting a transplant! She is responding well to treatment! She will survive because she is a survivor. Just like you."

Alice straightened up, cleaned up her tears, and gave Zhi a confident nod. She had come to Paris because she desperately needed to be with her best friend. No one was as good at giving pep-talks as Zhi Ruo. She often joked around, saying it was all those years listening to 'Alya' pep-talking 'Marinette'.

"That's m'girl!" Zhi said with a proud smile growing on her lips.

Alice giggled and cleared the rest of the tears from her face, trying desperately to find a new conversation topic.

"How are things between John and you?" She asked. Alice was talking about the famous actor John Boyce, mostly known for playing good looking heros and desirable male characters in romantic comedies.

Zhi Ruo snorted, "That jerk..." She shook her head with her eyes closed and let out a resigned sigh, "We broke up last week, and the next day he was already snogging another girl."

"Oh, Z, I'm so sorry..."

"What! Why? It's not like I _loved_ him, or anything... He is cute and all, but things weren't really working out anyway." Zhi shrugged with a smile. It was the second relationship she had started that year. She was beginning to wonder if maybe there was something wrong with her...

"Still, it must sting..." Sighed Alice, throwing a concerned look at her friend.

Zhi shrugged, "It hurts my ego a little bit, I can't lie about that." She chuckled as if she was already at peace with her forever-single situation, "I just have to stop dating famous guys. They are all full-of-themselves-jerks."

"That, they are. I can't disagree. Most of them, anyway." Said Alice, containing a sigh.

Zhi chuckled a bit more, "You're still pining over Simon, I see."

Simon Laurent had participated in all the Miraculous movies with them as the infamous Cat Kwami, Plagg. He was five years older, but the moment Alice saw and talked to him, she was smitten. She had dated other guys along the way, but her crush for Simon Laurent never disappeared, not really.

"I-Well... Yes." She answered with a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, "But you know me. It's not like I'm going to declare my love for him... Plus, we haven't talked in years-"

"I hear he is single." Zhi simply said, making her best innocent smile.

"Don't!" Alice breathed, looking a tiny bit frustrated, "I'm not going to make a move on him. I barely have time to visit my best friend, let alone date! No! We were talking about you! About _your_ dating life!"

Zhi Ruo burst into laughter.

Alice was a great actress. She was a very kind and shy person despite having played the role of Chloe Bourgeois. Sometimes Zhi felt frustrated with her friend, though, because she was so unsure of herself. If she learned something from Chloe, is that things don't happen if you don't try. Chloe normally took that motto over borders, but she knew what she wanted and did what she needed to get it. The opposite of Alice, really.

Zhi's personality was very Ladybug-like, and not so much Marinette. That part of her had died with a broken heart a long time ago.

"I think you should consider dating civilians." Said Alice very suddenly, with a thoughtful face.

"You think?" Replied Zhi, not convinced, "but won't they date me just because I'm... you know... _me_?"

"Well, yes... I mean, most of them, yes. Definitely."

"But I don't want someone to date me just because I'm rich and famous!" Zhi let out a bit outraged with the thought.

"Z, even the celebrity guys you date, date you because you're you." Said Alice with a bitter smile, "At least civilians won't be as full of themselves as the celebrities?" She asked unsure, "Well, I don't know! I'm just saying because you've kinda tried everything already!"

Zhi twitched her nose at the idea. Alice did have a point. She wasn't in desperate need of a boyfriend, and most of her relationships didn't work out because of her independence, but she did feel lonely most of the time. Her real friends could be counted on the fingers of her hands and as for her parents, they'd moved to live in Algarve, Portugal, searching for a quieter life. They'd wanted her to move with them, but she could never abandon her city, her Paris...

"How the hell would I do that, then?" She asked, in a very complacent tone, "Date a 'civilian'?" Alice shrugged and placed a hand over her chin, thinking, "I can't just step outside, pick the first guy I find and go 'Hi mister, don't you wanna go on a date with me?'"

Alice snorted, "If you do, please let me watch!"

"Ha ha." laughed Zhi, not impressed, "Not funny."

"Oh but it is." Alice laughed, imagining how that would go. She decided to stop teasing when she noticed her best friend wasn't enjoying being mocked any longer. Zhi Ruo had her heart broken a long time ago, and that had been the last time Alice had seen her friend give it to someone. Even though she didn't show it, Zhi was still suffering from her heartbreak. It wasn't the kind of wound that went away with time... Alice was scared that it was going to stay with her friend forever, and that was why she was so insistent on getting Zhi dating. A big new love could cure a broken heart, right? She cleared her throat. "How about a dating app?" Zhi's eyebrows frowned, "Don't look at me like that!" Alice laughed, "My friend Sophie met her boyfriend through a dating app and they are very happy together. Maybe you should give it a try..." Zhi looked like she was thinking about it, but Alice knew she needed a little push, so she put on her best 'excited' smile and said: "Please? It will be so much fun! I will help you make your profile and we can choose the candidates together!" Alice grabbed Zhi's phone from the table and quickly searched for a dating app, "Sophie used this one," She said, turning the screen of the phone towards Zhi, where she saw the name of the app _Red Thread_ and that it was already downloading.

"No time to waste, huh?" Zhi let out a giggle. The app really had a great name to it, if they asked Zhi. _The Red Thread of Fate_ is an East Asian belief that the Gods tie an invisible red cord around the ankles of those that are meant to be together. The red thread may stretch or tangle, but it is known for never breaking. And, according to the myth, two people that are connected by it are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. _Soulmates_.

The idea of not having a say on her own destiny was something that always made Zhi Ruo frown. She chose to believe that she could choose her own path alongside with the people that were good for her. So, although the name of the app was well chosen, the concept amused her.

"Of course not! Down with the jerks, Up with the Prince-Charmings!"

Zhi snorted, "Yeah, sure, 'cuz the Prince Charmings live amongst the 'civilians'."

"Why not? You never know for sure! Not until you try."

Zhi Ruo shrugged and smiled, knowing she didn't have a say on the matter now.

"My god! How old is this thing?" Alice asked impatiently, referring to Zhi's phone, that was taking way longer than it should to download such a light app.

Zhi chuckled agreeing, "It's old."

They waited a few more minutes until...

"Okay, okay! Download completed!" Alice squealed with excitement, closing the distance between them until their shoulders touched so that Zhi could have access to what was happening on her own screen, "Hum, email..." She mumbled while she quickly typed Zhi's email, "Phone number— Wow, phone number? It requires a phone number!" She looked at Zhi, unsure, "Should you use your personal phone number?"

"I'm not going to use my work number for sure." Zhi laughed, "Put my personal phone number, if I have to change it later, well, whatever."

Alice squealed again and typed furiously, making Zhi laugh, "Username?" She asked looking up to Zhi.

"Ah... Shouldn't I just put my name-name!?" She asked confused. What kind of a dating app was this?

"I think this it's for login purposes only. We have to fill your profile later, so... Username?" Asked Alice growing impatient.

"Uhm... I guess Zhi Ruo Léi, or Ladybug, or Marinette Dupain-cheng are taken..." Alice typed on the phone for two minutes, confirming Zhi's suspicions, "So... Try Bugg_zhi_nette?"

Alice giggled, "That's a good one!"

_Chat Noir would have been proud._ Both thought, but neither of them said it out loud.

"Password.." Alice typed something on the screen.

"Hey!? Shouldn't I be the one to decide my own password?" Asked Zhi, slightly offended and equally amused.

"Yes..? Okay. Sure." Said Alice shrugging, but without deleting what she had written in the phone, "Password?"

"LeiZhiRuo18"

Alice smug smile spread through her face as she pressed 'enter', "Obviously."

Zhi's face became red, and she refrained herself from saying a word. _Obviously_, Alice knew all her passwords and knew her well enough to know which one she was going to pick for a dating app.

"Okay!" Cheered Alice, putting her hands up in the air, "We are in!" She hugged Zhi momentarily before returning to her job as cupid, "Name— Léi Zhi Ruo... Should I write it in Chinese characters too?— Whatever, you can add it later." She said quickly, making Zhi throw her head back and laugh. Alice had tried to learn Chinese from Zhi, but it always ended in disaster. "Age— 25..." She continued, pretending to ignore the reason Zhi was laughing. "Nationality— Chinese/French... Living in... Paris. Profession— Actress. Relationship status— Single, obviously!"

Alice went on like this for three hours. By the time she finished answering all of the 'What do you do on a day off?'-like questions, it was nightfall. Even though it was fun to build a profile on a dating app, Zhi was now trying not to pull her hair out. Alice was clearly sick of it too, but she was determined to go through with it.

"Now for the important part!" She said, as she drummed rolled with her left hand on her left thigh, "We have to put a picture of you!"

"Just pick one out from facebook and get on with it." Sighed Zhi, picking up the dishes and cups from the table in order to get them inside, "It's getting cold and late. We still have to make dinner."

Alice followed her inside with her face still glued to Zhi's phone, "Can't we order some food? Or go buy take out?"

"You are a bad influence for me, you know that, don't you?" Zhi sighed looking at the time, "Perhaps that's not such a bad idea."

"Yay!" Alice cheered, making Zhi laugh, "Pizza?"

Zhi narrowed her eyes and then her smile grew, "Pizza." She confirmed, gesturing for Alice to return her phone.

"Ah... I've finished your profile, but maybe you wanna call from my phone." Alice smiled like a child that had just made a beautiful work of art on her bedroom walls with a permanent pen, "Yours is dead."

After calling the pizzaria, Zhi put her dead phone on the charger, and both girls totally forgot about the dating app for the next few hours.

While eating the pizza, the girls decided to watch Mulan, the original. When the movie ended they were laughing on the floor with Zhi's impressions of Mushu and Grandmother Fa to the sound of 'True to your heart' by Stevie Wonder and 98 Degrees.

When the laughter finally died, Alice's eyes widened and she jumped as if she had just been struck by lightning, "I can't go to the premiere, but... What if we go to the movie release in a normal movie theatre?" Zhi's eyes grew big too, almost matching Alice's, "You know, for old times sake?"

"Oh my god, Al!" Said Zhi, almost speechless, "Yes! That's such a great idea! We will go to the movies in London, though. Because you need to be close to your family around the time the movie comes out."

"Alright," Agreed Alice, feeling her chest warm with how much Zhi cared, "But if you have a boyfriend by then, you must promise to bring him! I want to meet him!" She laughed.

"I'm not very confident in this dating app-thingy, you know that, right?" Started Zhi with a sheepish smile, "But if I do find someone worthy of meeting my best friend in the world, I will bring him."

"Awww!" Sighed Alice with dreamy eyes. But Zhi Ruo could see way past that.

"You're dying to see if I have dating requests, aren't you?" She chuckled in disbelief.

"OH MY GOD, YES!" Yelled Alice as she got up and ran to the kitchen to pick up Zhi's phone, making her laugh.

She came back racing from the kitchen with Zhi's phone in her hand. She turned it on as she sat on the couch next to the phone's owner.

The screen lit up and asked for a pin code, which she quickly typed — _Obviously_ — and they waited. After a minute, nothing happened.

No notifications at all.

Alice sighed disappointed, placing the phone on the coffee table, "I was sure you'd be rocking with notifications, right now..." She groaned, frustrated, "I mean..." She pointed at Zhi Ruo with both hands, "You're _YOU_."

"Thanks, Al." Zhi giggled, "But it's okay, really... I wasn't very convinced with it anyway—"

_Ping._

_Ping. Ping. Ping._

_Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping._

_Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping._

_Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping._

_Ping._

Zhi and Alice had moved away from the smartphone on the coffee table as if it were a possessed object.

_Ping_.

"Wow." Zhi breathed out. She normally disabled the notifications for unimportant apps such as Facebook or Instagram. Otherwise, the phone wouldn't stop ringing, and she would dismiss important text messages and calls thinking the notification had come from a social app... Alice hadn't done that to Red Thread, though.

Alice jumped to the phone, squealing with delight, "Oh my gosh! Z, so MANY have already sent a date request!"

"I could tell, by the 'Pings'." She answered, a bit apprehensive.

"Don't worry!" Alice said, embracing her shoulders with her free arm and squeezing, "I will help you choose who to reply to!"

When Alice finally came up with five 'perfect matches' for Zhi, Zhi was in her seventh sleep. Alice smiled warmly and covered her best friend with a blanket and closed the electric blinds from the living room. It was very late and Zhi had always been a baby when it came to late night gatherings.

**_As promised, here is the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed it and hope you stick around for more! I'll try to post a new one soon. If not tomorrow, tuesday!_**

**_Bug Out!_**

**_AuriMoon*_**


	3. Rumors

**Rumors**

* * *

"Honestly, Al, I couldn't believe it!" Zhi Ruo ranted on the phone as she strolled down the streets of Paris, not caring on putting her sunglasses in her face to hide her identity. People were staring. "John is a sweetheart comparing to this Pierre guy! I've never felt so insulted_ in my life_!" She had just left the first date with a guy from Red Thread. It was the third time that month. Meaning that the three last dates she had with three different 'civilians' had ended up being a complete disaster. So much for the Red Thread of Fate.

Zhi should have been accompanied by a bodyguard.

"That does sound bad," Alice's voice came out of the phone, sounding very guilty.

"It was even worse than the weird red-headed guy! Seriously, Al. I didn't think there could be worse than that, but there is. The streets are becoming more dangerous by the minute!" She said dramatically, trying to make her friend feel better, "And you, Miss, don't ever, I mean NEVER, open an account on a dating app, 'cuz you are the best at picking creeps." Alice laughed on the other side of the line, "I mean it! They were all good looking and all, but the three of them were _complete_ psychos."

"What about the other two?" Asked Alice, hopeful.

"Both of them started mocking me, saying that there was no way they'd believe that I'm Zhi Ruo. So I showed them through video call, and then blocked them."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Well, I'm going to delete my Red Thread account today." She informed, "If this dating app is my only shot at Happily Ever After, I'll pass. I prefer to live alone than to go through another one of these excruciating dates."

"I understand..." Alice answered gloomily.

"Cheer up, Al... It's okay. You were only trying to help!" Said Zhi finally arriving home, and taking out her keychain from her purse.

_Ping._

"Oh, goodness, I think Pierre is texting me again." She groaned in exasperation and taking a moment to look at her phone's screen.

"Seriously?" Alice held a disbelieving chuckle.

"Yes. I just received an incoming notification from Red Thread." Zhi said, closing the gate after entering her house's front garden. "I'm going to tell him to shove it. And then I will probably change my phone number. Talk to you soon, Okay?"

"Yes! Don't forget to tell me your new number, though. Kisses!" Answered Alice, containing her laughter.

"Bye!" Said Zhi, before she hanged up.

She entered her house, closed the door and let her bag and jacket fall on the armchair in the entrance hall. Her house wasn't too big — for a millionaire. It was modern mixed with old, which made it beautiful and cozy. The hall was tiny and led to the living room, upstairs or to the service bathroom. The kitchen was opened to the living room giving the impression that it was bigger than it actually was. And upstairs she had two bedrooms with a bathroom each. Her favorite part was the well-raked garden that surrounded the house.

Zhi Ruo climbed the stairs and decided to take a bubble bath to relax, before looking at her phone. She carefully made pigtails on her hair, an habit she had caught while playing Marinette, and she entered the bathtub, now full of bubbles. She sighed, thinking she couldn't handle more idiotic incomes today. Maybe she didn't even have to check her texts in that number anymore. She could simply switch numbers and ignore what had happened in that month, dating wise. Her first month of real vacation in the last two years and she had spent it trying to find herself a date. It was just pathetic. She hoped that none of the guys she had taken out on a date called the press. She hadn't been exactly polite with the last one. Maybe she should text him back and be nice... She blatantly groaned _A life of a public figure is hard. _She really hadn't thought this through.

All because she couldn't give her heart easily like she used to...

_Thanks a lot, Adrien Devereaux._

More than eight years had passed and she still thought of that stray way more often than she'd care to admit.

She had a type, alright: good looking jerks.

Cursing her luck under her breath and wishing for the hundredth time she had a Kwami named Tikki to give her instructions and advice on what to do, she sighed and got out from the bath.

But the freaking phone was ringing again. She'd left it in her jacket, on the entrance hall, but she still could hear it.

Without caring the slightest with the incoming call, she slowly cleaned the remained water from her body, left half naked to her bedroom, and started getting dressed.

Her room was beautiful, her favorite room in the house. The furniture was white and very princessy like, with some lapis-lazuli gemstone on the handles. The paper on the walls was light blue and had a beautiful floral texture to it, that was mostly noticeable with daylight.

And... The phone was ringing again.

Repressing a sigh, Zhi pushed her t-shirt down her head and strolled downstairs barefoot.

Shoving her hand in her jacket's right pocket, she grabbed her ringing phone and looked at the screen.

**_Charlotte Roy_**

Rolling her eyes and smirking, Zhi Ruo hit the answer button.

"Hello!"

"Léi!" She heard her manager call, "You finally picked up!"

Zhi chuckled softly, walking to the living room, "I'm on vacation, aren't I?"

"Yes... _But _I'm sure you wanted to hear this."

"Okay. Shoot." She said shrugging.

Charlotte made a pause or effect and... "Miraculous is back! And they want YOU." She squealed and laughed over the phone, "Of course they want you! No one could play Marinette Dupain-Cheng better than you-"

"But I'm a bit old to play a 14-year-old, aren't I?" Zhi giggled at Charlotte's enthusiasm. That was what made Charlotte such a great manager. They'd been together since the beginning, and Charlotte was the best. Super funny, hard worker, very professional when needed to be, trustworthy and she had become somewhat a friend to Zhi, which was a rare thing to happen. Zhi could count her true friends with the fingers of her right hand.

"Ah! But that's the best part! They aren't remaking it. They are continuing the story! Meaning, Ladybug has now 25! Your age!" Charlotte said, "Anyway, can I come over? I want to tell you the details in person! I'm so excited!"

"Sure. Do come over. Want to have dinner here?"

"Yes! I'm on my way! Don't forget, I'm a vegetarian!"

Zhi chucked and nodded, "Roger that."

"Be there in thirty!" And she hanged the call.

Zhi exhaled, looking at the phone, feeling butterflies settling in her stomach. She knew she had to accept the part. It was the best for her career.

When Miraculous series had ended, she knew she probably would never have a part in such a successful production — she'd never imagined that she'd be Mulan from Disney a few years later. But now Miraculous was back and they wanted her to play Marinette Dupain-Cheng again. How lucky can one be in a lifetime?

But, if they wanted her... That meant they wanted Adrien as well. And she did not want to see Adrien again.

Zhi Ruo started to cut the vegetables to make dinner for herself and Charlotte.

They'd filmed the last scenes of the last Miraculous movie when Zhi and Adrien finally decided to date. It wasn't official, but it was serious. At least for her. But not for him, apparently. Alice had caught footage of Adrien scandalously making out with a random girl in the studio perimeter and had told Zhi all about it. When Zhi tried to confront him, he had refused to talk to her, and that had been the end. Besides being a traitor, he was also a coward. Zhi had sworn to never fall for someone like that ever again.

She had played that conversation over and over again in her head, and something about it kept deeply bothering her... His words. He had opened his front door just to say "Don't talk to me. Ever again." As if _he_ was the one who'd gotten hurt. Back then she had felt really humiliated and, worst than that, stupid. She had come to his house, demanding an explanation, giving him a slight chance to redeem himself, and he had just been... A jerk.

Her heart was broken in tiny little pieces and she had taken way too long to puzzle them back together. She still wavered at the thought of seeing him again. She had lost more than the love of her life that day. She had lost her best friend.

She wiped the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes with her forearm and focused on the good part of the situation! She was going to be Marinette again! She was going to reunite with the old gang! She was going to work with Alice again! Alice would rejoice to the thought of seeing Simon again! Everything was going to be perfect!

_Ping._

With a reluctant sigh, she cleaned her hands and picked up her phone. She had a two new incoming text from Red Thread. She opened it to see what Pierre wanted now, but the text wasn't from Pierre.

She blinked at the phone.

[18h43 Today]

_Why on earth would someone want to pretend to be Zhi Ruo Léi?_

[19h24 Today]

_I'm sorry if I was rude. But I'm sure that, whoever you are, you can do so much better than Léi..._

Zhi stared at her phone, and her eyebrows slowly frowned. She had thousands and thousands of fans, she knew she had haters too... Everyone who's this famous has haters. But this person... Chat_Noir_999 — _Oh, the irony_ — didn't seem to hate her fanatically. He seemed to hate her like she had made something to make him hate her. A personal hatred.

She wondered if she should type something back. She wanted to know why this person seemed to loathe her so much. But she also wanted to quit the app, so she decided against answering. It wasn't worth it.

Instead, she wrote a quick and_ sweet_ (It was hard when all she wanted was to insult the guy) apology to Pierre, to avoid further complications. She put her phone down and deciding to look for a new one after dinner — hers was ancient — and a new number. With that, Zhi turned back to cooking the vegetarian meal.

The thing was... That text was really bugging her. Not just because the guy didn't believe she was Zhi Ruo Léi, but because he seemed to hold a grudge against her. She thought about video calling him, like she'd done the other two smartasses, but something inside her begged her not to. What if, for some unknown reason to her, the guy really had reasons to hate her? Her biggest fear was to let down her fans... And the guy seemed like a decent guy... She didn't want to know the reason this person hated her. Or did she?

She looked at the phone, resting quietly above the table.

Her heart started beating faster as she stared at the white device.

And the bell rang, making her jump.

She laughed at her own silliness and rushed to open the door.

"Hiiii!" Charlotte gave her an excited hug as she was entering the house and Zhi hugged her back giggling, "It's been so looong!" Said Charlotte, making the word long sound way longer than it is.

"It's not been THAT long." Giggled Zhi, breaking the embrace to look at her friend and manager.

"Oh, shut up! Three weeks is LOOOONG!" Said Charlotte, as if it was obvious and Zhi was just too slow, which made the last laugh. Charlotte followed Zhi to the living room and placed her coat and purse on the sofa. She audibly breathed in, "Hummm! Smells so good!"

Zhi went back to the kitchen, laughing, "I hope you like it."

Charlotte walked to the kitchen and leaned on the counter, "You're not going to ask, are you?"

"What for!?" Laughed Zhi, "You are about to tell me anyway! So, I'm all ears."

Charlotte groaned, "Fine!" Her face shifted from amused annoyance to extreme excitement in less than a second, as she squealed and blond-clapped her hands, "Miraculous is going to be back!"

"So I've heard," Chuckled Zhi, entertained with her friend's expressions. She'd joked about it, but she'd missed Lottie too, "Where do I sign?"

Charlotte gave a little screech and hugged Zhi again. "I'm so glad! I was worried you didn't want to,- You know-... Because of...-" _Adrien, yeah._ Zhi completed in her head, "But I'm sooooo happy that you want in! You realize this is game-changing, right? One thing is to play teenager Marinette, another is young adult Marinette! Thomas Astruc already talked to me about it, and they are making it way darker now. He wants to meet us in two weeks!" Thomas Astruc was the Screenwriter and Director of the Miraculous Series. Zhi grabbed two plates and started setting the table, but Charlotte quickly took over, since Zhi was cooking, "There's a catch, though." She said, distractingly, "The filming starts before 'Where the flowers grow's ends. That means double filming in the last slash first month and no break between them."

Zhi made her right eyebrow go up and smirked, "You think I can't do it?"

"No! I mean... Yes, you _can_, but you don't _have_ to. It will be exhausting if you do..." Said Charlotte, looking at Zhi. She looked alarmed and Zhi knew why.

_Well, she is right to be..._

"Yes, Lottie, but I won't give up on 'Where the flowers grow'." Zhi said, confirming all of Charlotte's fears. "First, because it wouldn't be correct to do it." Charlotte was about to say something, but Zhi cut her even before she started, "Second, because I really want to do this part! I've never played a part on a drama, and now is my big chance! I won't ruin it, not even if it means I won't sleep for one month."

Charlotte knew there was nothing to be done about it. When Zhi decided something, she normally went through with it. She exhaled, resigned. "Okay, I will see if I can negotiate to make the 'Miraculous' filming compatible with 'Where the flowers grow'."

Zhi smiled widely, "You're the best!"

"I know." Charlotte sighed, smiling at Zhi.

"Let's eat!" Zhi said, excited, starting to serve the plates.

"This really smells delicious," Said Charlotte as they sat on the table.

"I hope it tastes as good." Chuckled Zhi Ruo.

Charlotte took a bite and nodded, "It's better! You gotta give me this recipe."

"Sure!" Smirked Zhi, "First you cut some bacon into little pieces-"

"B-Bacon?" Charlotte was suddenly white and her eyes so big that Zhi feared they'd pop out of her head.

Zhi was planning on taking the joke further, but the look on Charlotte's face made her crack with uncontrollable laughter right away.

Charlotte's smile reappeared, "Very funny." She said dryly, as she watched Zhi bend over, snorting. Charlotte giggled too. Zhi's laughter was contagious.

Once the laughter finally calmed down, Charlotte decided that if Zhi could make fun of her she wasn't going to pity the girl. She had the right to make fun of her too.

"Are the rumors true?"

"Which ones?" Asked Zhi, wiping a tear from her face.

"That the famous Zhi Ruo Léi is using a dating app to find a partner!?" Charlotte snorted.

Zhi blushed a very dark shade of red.

Charlotte's eyes widened, "Oh my god! They are!" Her eyes moved to Zhi's phone, still on the counter where he'd left it, "Who are you and where is the real Zhi Ruo?"

Zhi chuckled, "It was an impulse. Believe me, if I knew what I was getting in to, I wouldn't have let Alice convince me to do it."

"Don't pin the guilt on someone else!" Laughed Charlotte, "You should have come to me for that, girl! I would have created a reality show with it! 'Zhi Ruo, The Bachelorette!' We'd be covered in cash right now! And you could have a decent guy to date!"

"I keep forgetting you are worse than Alice!" Snorted Zhi.

Charlotte laughed and gave her a nod, agreeing, "And I'm way more resourceful!"

"That's what makes you so dangerous!"

Zhi Ruo couldn't sleep.

Charlotte had left and Zhi'd stayed up for a while, ordering her new phone and number. After that, she'd gone straight to bed, feeling tired. But she'd spent the last hour tossing and turning. Staring at the darkness.

She had deleted her Red Thread account, but now she couldn't stop thinking about Chat_Noir999 and his words.

Why?

Zhi Ruo had many regrets in life, but none of them regarding her fans. She loved her fans, and she always gave her best regarding them. She personally responded to all her mail and letters! She always took pictures and gave autographs when asked of her... She would do almost everything for her fans... Why would this person, that was obviously a Miraculous fan, detest her to the point of sending her a text when he didn't believe she was Zhi? Why? What was the point?

Groaning loudly, Zhi got up, turned on the lights and reached for her phone.

She downloaded the Red thread app and opened it.

The '_Do you want to recover your account?'_ question popped out on her screen. Slowly exhaling, she hit the _Yes_ button.

There wasn't much to recover. Before she deleted the account she'd erased manually every answer to every question, her profile picture and her basic information such as name and age. All that was left to 'recover' was her username: Bugg_zhi_nette.

She hit the search button and searched Chat_Noir999. A profile similar to hers appeared, but Chat_Noir999's profile had a picture. Of a black kitten.

Zhi Ruo rolled her eyes and smirked.

_What kind of dating app is this?_

_And who would go on a date with someone that had a fanatic username, and a cat's profile picture, and no profile information?_

Remembering his words, she hit the private message button and typed a reply.

* * *

**_What do you think so far? Do tell, cuz I live for my reader's comments XD (I have a problem, I know. Ahahah)_**

**_I really hope you enjoyed this, _**

**_Lots of love, _**

**_AuriMoon*_**


	4. Lies

_**Geez, NotreDame burning up yesterday really got to me. It was so hard to watch... I'm so glad that nobody died and that most of the artwork was saved. Just when I think it could have been so much worse it gives me chills. **_

_**Anyways, here is a new chapter. **_

* * *

_**Lies**_

Adrien Devereaux wanted nothing more in life than to succeed as a Fashion Designer as he had as an actor back in the day.

Once the Miraculous series were over, so had been his heart.

He'd been friends with Zhi Ruo for a long time. He knew her every quirk, her every smile, her everything. Or so he thought. He'd found out the hardest way that Zhi was an even better actress than he'd thought.

Once it was over, he'd decided to pursue a different path. In the following months, several directors had tried to hire him to play parts on their movies. Or brands wanted him to model their clothes. He'd always rejected them. Soon, they stopped asking. He was finally free(ish).

He'd moved to London with his father and enrolled on the UAL (University of the Arts London) in the LCF (London College of Fashion). It wasn't easy, but he'd done it. Only to find that being in the actual school was even harder. People assumed that he had everything he wanted because he was... 'Adrien Agreste'. Being called Adrien, as the character he had played, did nothing for his situation. He rarely felt like himself anymore. It seemed like his name was meant for someone else.

He'd entered that school without any 'helping hand'. He'd made sure of it. If he got in, he wanted it to be because of his talent alone. He knew he had talent, and he got to prove it to a lot of people. Most of the students and teachers made his life living hell, but he'd prevailed and was now a graduate. Of course, there were some wonderful people he'd met along the way, such as his final project mentor Karl J. Rouse and his very good friend Hannah Smith.

After that, came the — even harder — part of finding a job. It was like college had started all over again. They kept treating him like the golden boy that had everything he wanted just because he had stared on a very famous series once, and it was pissing him off. Someone had hired him to do assistant's work and he'd felt so thrilled, only to find that they wanted him 'assisting' the camera by modeling their clothes. He'd never felt more offended. He desperately needed to prove himself in the fashion world.

Adrien had just come out of his last job interview — one he'd been treated as the model Adrien Agreste again — when he decided to reunite the gang and tell them the good news:

He was going rogue.

If he couldn't start by the bottom on a normal design company, he would start from the top at his own company.

"Now that we're all here, I have an announcement: I'm going to create my own brand." He said with a confident posture. But in his head, he was already re-thinking the whole thing. He did have a lot of money, but to create a company from scratch... It was going to take more than money to do that. He shook away the negative thoughts and looked at the scenery in front of him.

Sitting on his couch, Simon, Lucie and Hannah were looking at him without covering their thoughts. Which shifted between skepticism and bewilderment.

Lucie Alard, the optimistic of the group, was the first to recover, "That sound so cool!" She squealed, making him immediately think of Tikki, the Kwami. She was five years younger than him — she had 8 years old when the Miraculous series started — and she was everything that Tikki represented. From the whole cast, he'd say that Lucie was the best match for her character. Sweet and optimistic, but always with her feet on the earth to judge what could go wrong in every situation. Her appearance was pretty normal. She wasn't a beauty, but she combed pretty well. She had dark hair and dark eyes and a couple of cute freckles on her nose. She was now 20, but still had the voice of a 10-year-old.

"Yeah!" Recovered Hannah — his only true friend through college years —, "But how are you planning on doing it?"

"With help." He answered unsure, "With your help, hopefully." He continued looking at his friends, "But if you can't or don't want to, it's totally fine!" He quickly added rising his hands with his palms facing his friends, "I'll manage."

Before anyone said anything, Simon Laurent let out a little chuckle. He had dark hair too, but soft green eyes, and he had a rude kind of handsome.

"You know we are here for you, kid. But don't you think that's throwing yourself to the sharks?" He said with a dangerous smile wavering on his lips. Adrien knew what that meant. Simon was always testing him. Like Lucie, Simon wasn't Adrien's and Hannah's age. He was four years older, meaning he was almost 30. When they first met, Simon had been the cool older kid, who Adrien had the luck to hang out with. Now he could not imagine his life without his sarcastic and testing comments. It was a great part of their relationship.

Back in the day, the group was bigger. Zhi Ruo and Alice made part of it, although the air was always weird when Simon or Alice spoke to one another, they used to be a group of five, not three. Until it happened. He never should have let his feelings for Zhi Ruo get the best of him. He shouldn't have started dating her. Even though she was the one who ruined their relationship before it began, he kept wondering what had happened if he'd never told her his feelings for her. Probably the gang would still be intact. He was to blame too.

Now there was nothing to be done anyway.

"I don't mind swimming in dangerous waters. That's all I've known in the past years, so why not try to become a shark myself too?" Adrien shrugged, with a naive smile growing on his lips.

"It will be your funeral." Simon shrugged back, "And ours if we go in with you."

"Of course we're going in with him!" Said Lucie a little outraged, "But we are going in with our head on our shoulders and with a lifeguard boat!" Lucie was on the third year of her bachelor in Economics, so she would be great at the accountant stuff. Ever since she'd entered the Economics college of London, she had been staying at Adrien's house. Her parents lived in Preston and add agreed that she could come to London because Adrien's father had offered his place. Lucie was very loved by her fans and his parents were scared of her living all alone. Adrien looked at her as his little sister, one he needed to love and protect.

"Adrien, I'm not sure how much time I can spare, but I will help as much as I can." Added Hannah, smiling sadly. Hannah had found a job at a Fashion atelier and Adrien was incredibly happy for her. He knew he couldn't ask her to give it up because of his little whims, so if she could give him just a little help, it would be more than enough.

Hannah had light brown hair and amber eyes. She was cute, but not stunning, or so thought Adrien. It was really hard for him to tell if a girl was attractive when the girl he loved — _past tense_ — was stunningly beautiful._ Outside_.

"Lifeguard boat!" Repeated Simon, laughing. Ignoring what Hannah had just said, not giving time for Adrien to thank her.

"We can do better than that, if you want in." Said Adrien smirking, while sitting on an armchair and placing his feet on the coffee table to make a point.

"So dramatic..." Breathed Lucie, rolling her eyes.

"I'll tell you what," Said Simon, smirking right back at Adrien, while leaning over with his elbows on his knees, "First, you present your idea to me. Then I'll invest. How's that for you?"

"Sounds perfect!" Replied Adrien, but what they all heard was '_Bring it on_.'

* * *

"Lucie, don't you want to see the movie?" Asked Charles, Adrien's father, looking at Lucie that was glued to her mobile's screen instead of watching the movie she'd picked for them to see on the movie night.

"Oh!" She said, surprised as if she'd forgotten she was supposed to be watching a movie, "Yes! I'm sorry!" Her gaze shifted between the Tv and her phone, as if she couldn't decide, "Just a sec!" She furiously typed something on her phone.

Adrien smirked and got up from the couch where he had been sitting with his father and walked behind her to peek at her phone.

"Red Thread?" He asked amused when he saw the app name on her phone.

Lucie got up as if her chair was on fire and let out an offended screech. Adrien's smile grew with his curiosity.

"What's the Red Thread, Lucie?" He asked, stepping towards her. She squealed and quickly ran away to the other part of the room, with her hands covering her phone on her chest.

"None of your business!" She said defensively.

Since no one was watching it, Charles paused the movie. He too was interested in Lucie's reaction to Adrien's prying.

"You can tell me, or I can figure it out on my own..." Adrien warned, with fun flickering on his eyes.

Lucie frowned, indecisively. Adrien really had become the big brother she'd never had.

_Be careful what you wish for._

Adrien picked his phone up, throwing her an amused smile, and typed 'red thread' on the app store, "Wow." He said, looking at her without concealing his surprise, after reading the summary of the app. Lucie blushed and prepared herself to be judged. "Why would you want to be on a dating app?"

Lucie blushed darker, "I- It's none of your business!" She let out a bit too aggressively.

"Okay, you won't tell me, I have no other choice." He said shrugging while pressing the download button.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, with fear creeping in, and walking over to look at his phone. He repressed a smile and hit the 'create account' button. She let out a little shocked shriek and her eyes doubled size as he happily started to make his account.

"Don't you dare, Adrien Devereaux!" She warned making a move to get his phone out of his hand. But he was already expecting it, so he dodged her attempts and laughed.

Charles, that until how had watched with amusement, finally said, "Kids, cut it off. I'm not going to have to ground you for bad behavior, am I?"

"But he is prying on my things!" Lucie complained, as she jumped to try to reach Adrien's phone, that he was holding up in the air.

"I'm just trying to protect you from creeps!" He replied, laughing.

"That's absurd! I can protect myself!" She whined, making both men laugh.

"Okay, stop it, both of you." Said Charles with a commanding fatherly tone, but without raising his voice, "Adrien sit here" He pointed at one armchair, "And Lucie sit there." He said, pointing with the other arm to another armchair in the opposite corner of the room. They obliged. "Seriously, you kids keep making my hair greyer."

"Dad," Started Adrien, "You know we're not kids anymore..."

"You will stop being kids when you start acting unlike them." Said Charles with a chuckle. "Now, Lucie," He looked at the girl, "Why are you using a dating app? You know how dangerous things like that can be, right?" She looked down and gave him a timid shrug. "Your parents didn't want you to be in danger. I told them that a bodyguard to follow your every move was taking things too far, but if I tell them you are dating online they will probably stop trusting my better judgment."

"I'm sorry." She said, with her eyes still on the floor and her hands grasping around her phone, "But I really like this guy!" She let out looking up at Charles, begging with her eyes.

He let out a sigh, "I guess we can hire a private detective to look into him..."

"What! No!" Said Lucie, frowning at the idea, "That's absurd! What would he think if he ever found out!?"

"Sorry, Lucie, but we have to make sure that this guy is legit. I'm sure your parents agree with me." Charles said, with an understanding smile.

"Maybe we can dig into the guy first?" Adrien asked, "That was what I was going to do, anyway..." Lucie looked at him thankfully. He had started the mess, and he was trying to make it better. "If we find that he is way too perfect to be true, then we hire a private detective." He looked at Lucie, apologetically, "That is if you really like him."

Charles sighed loudly, "Does that sound reasonable to you, Lucie?"

She nodded, slowly.

"Then it's settled. You give Adrien the name of the guy and we will look him up!"

The rest of the night passed in awkward silence. Lucie went to bed early, giving the men space to finally look into the guy she was text dating. Because she at least had had the discernment of not meeting him yet. They'd only been texting for two weeks, apparently.

Charles and Adrien sat together on the couch, both looking at Adrien's phone.

"Do we really have to answer all these questions?" Asked Charles, already regretting his decision.

"I don't know." Adrien replied, feeling his father's pain, "Let me try and skip them." He pressed the 'done' button and the account was accepted. "Wow."

"What?" Asked Charles, confused.

"I didn't have to do anything. I only wrote my username." He frowned at the phone, "What kind of dating app is this!? I thought that we needed to at least prove who we are to get in!" He looked astonished at his phone. _This app isn't safe at all._ He thought, but he refrained of saying it, because he knew that Lucie was counting on him. _Who knows? Maybe the guy she was texting was a nice guy that had made a poor choice of picking a dating app such as this one. Like Lucie had._ "Anyway, let's just search his username." He quickly said before his father could put together what he'd said before. He hit the search button and on his page appeared some random suggestions. His stomach jumped at the sight of Zhi's picture. He promptly wrote the username of the guy Lucie was dating, and his profile popped up.

"Wasn't that Zhi Ruo?" Asked his father with a surprised tone.

_A picture of her, yes. Zhi Ruo? On a dating app? That was just absurd._ But he wasn't going to say that to his father, when he was trying to help Lucie prove that her boyfriend wasn't a creep. If Charles realized this was an app where people could pretend to be anyone they wanted, his father wasn't going to hire a private detective. His father was going to call Lucie's parents and they'd do god knows what. He'd never seen such strict parents in his life! They'd probably make her give up college in London and come back home. He wasn't going to let that happen. He knew how important was for her to be there.

"Was it? I didn't notice." He said, shrugging, dismissing the importance of the matter. He hated to lie to his dad. "Here he is!" He and his father leaned on to the phone and starter de PI investigation.

Adrien woke up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat and panting as if he'd just ran a kilometer.

Her words still wavering on his ears like it had been yesterday.

_I love you._

Liar.

She was a liar.

She'd said it with such heart...

Every time he relived it in his dreams, he'd believe her. He was a fool to believe her.

Zhi Ruo still visited him from time to time on his dreams. Her beautiful lies had haunted him for years.

He remembered her cruel words, written on his mind despite he'd long deleted the text message.

'**_I'm sorry, I can't hold it back any longer._**

**_I was only pretending for the sake of good publicity. The truth is I never loved you. You can't really blame me, can you? How could I ever be in love with someone like you?_**

**_Don't call me because I won't be able to recognize your number._**'

It had stung. Her every word cutting his heart to bits. He had hated her. He'd said he never wanted to see her face again when she came to knock on his door. He was young and really hot-headed at the time. Could anyone really blame him?

But when the heat cooled down, he realized that he should at least have listened to her. Let her explain...

He loved her.

He had searched for her, feeling guilty for not letting her speak that day. Only to find her making out with some random dude. After that one, a lot more followed. Adrien realized that she was just not what he thought she was. Around that time, Zhi Ruo gained a bit of a bad reputation, she and her manager had made disclaimers and newspapers had found proof that the one kissing around wasn't really Léi, but he didn't believe it. It was nothing more than a tentative of clearing her name. No one wanted the girl that played Marinette Dupain-Cheng to look bad. But he had seen her. And he knew what he saw.

What was really getting into his nerves was: why would someone try to enter a dating app and create a Zhi Ruo's profile to catfish other people? She was beautiful and all, but she was rotten. She ruined everything she touched with her perfect words.

Of course, all her fans loved her. She was the perfect cover. So maybe that was why someone would pretend to be her..? Because everyone loved her?

He reached for his phone and searched for her in the Red Thread app.

Her profile appeared. She had a picture taken from Zhi's official Facebook page.

_Another liar. Anyone can have access to this pictures_. He thought, bitterly, scrolling down her profile page. She had answered every question correctly. This girl or boy must be quite the stalker. Adrien gave a little unhumourous snort. Even with all the defects this catfishing person might have, she (let's think of her as 'she' for now) was not even close to how bad Zhi was.

He aggressively put down his phone and turned to the other side of his bed, trying to sleep some more. Tomorrow he was going to start to make the plans for his new brand and he had to dig into Lucie's boyfriend too.

* * *

"Adrien, Thomas Astruc for you." Said Charles, attempting to pass his phone to Adrien. Astruc had called his father, because Adrien had given up his old phone number and his manager after the Miraculous series were over, "Please listen to him and don't give your answer right away." Whispered his father with a warning tone. His father knew him all too well. If this was a job offer, his answer would have been a short and round 'No'.

Adrien took the phone off his hand and answered it.

After the first normal greetings, Astruc quickly got to business. Adrien knew that he was a very busy man and the fact that he was calling personally meant a lot.

"Adrien, we are bringing Miraculous back, and before you say 'no', we really need you. I'm calling back the old cast and Miraculous wouldn't be the same without our Adrien Agreste."

A chuckle came out of Adrien's lips before he could contain himself. There was no way he was going to be back. "That is a bit dramatic, Thomas, don't you think?"

"You know it's not, Adrien. We're already pushing the rope a bit by making the characters way older, but we wouldn't have half of the views without our Chat Noir. I mean it when I say, we need you." Thomas answered, trying his best to convince Adrien.

It wasn't working. "Thomas, I'm very thankful for all you've done for me. I loved every part of my life while working with you, but that part of my life is a closed chapter. I don't-"

"Wait!" Interrupted Thomas, Adrien could hear that he was desperately pulling the last card of his sleeve. "Before you say no, I had something else to ask of you."

Adrien lifted an eyebrow, "Okay... Ask away."

Thomas Astruc dropped the bomb, "Your portfolio made its way up to my desk. I want you to make the wardrobe too. Director of Costume Design, sounds good, doesn't it?"

Adrien was quiet for a moment and Astruc let him have all the time he needed to process, "Let me guess," Adrien added, a little bitterly, "It's a package deal?"

Thomas let out a light laugh, "Don't sound so pissed about it, Adrien! This is a big deal. I've heard you are struggling to make people take you seriously." Adrien threw a glare to his father, "This would be a turning point for you, wouldn't it?" Adrien was silent again, so Thomas let out a sigh, "Let me know your answer by the end of next week, okay? Don't get me wrong, you are good, otherwise I'd never come up with this offer, but remember that my neck will be on the line for hiring such a young and inexperienced designer to make such a big production's wardrobe. That's how much I need you as Chat Noir."

"Okay." Adrien forced himself to say, "I will think about it."

"That's all I'm asking!" Thomas said cheerful, and then the phone call was dropped.

Adrien rubbed his eyes with his hands while his heart beat frenetically. He didn't want to be a part of that world again.

Lucie entered the room and caught the silent question Charles was asking Adrien.

"Is everything alright?" She asked timidly, sensing the tension radiating from Adrien.

He exhaled and passed his hand through his hair, "Astruc is bringing Miraculous back and he wants to hire the old cast."

Lucie let out an excited squeal, "Really?"

Adrien smiled weakly at her, "You should be expecting a call soon."

She clapped her hands together, excited to be reunited with the people she had passed a great part of her life with, "Then why do you look so upset?" Lucie was still a kid when the Zhi Ruo's incident had happened, so she never had realized how hurt Adrien had really been. Or so he thought. "I know you had decided to stop acting, but this is different, right!?" She asked, trying to make him see how wonderful it would be to be in a Miraculous movie again, "I mean... It's MIRACULOUS..."

_Which makes it even worse._ He thought. _I will have to see her every day. I will probably have to kiss her. If not worse._

He shut his eyes hard and shook his head, trying to shake away the wicked thoughts of his head.

"I don't want to act again, Lucie. Not even for Miraculous." He said, resigned.

"Hum." She sighed, "If you really don't want too, you don't have to."

"She is right, son. If you really really don't want to, you don't have to." Charles said, assuringly, "I told you not to answer right away because I thought you'd want to hear his proposition. It's all you ever desired, right? A shot at proving yourself. He is giving you what you wanted, in return for a favor. And he is paying you for both jobs."

"What is he offering?" Asked Lucie, interested.

"Direction of Costume Design." Adrien blatantly said.

Lucie's chin dropped as her eyes opened wide. Charles nodded.

"Wow, Adrien,..." She started, amazed, "That _is_ a big deal."

"I know." He said.

"Are you gonna say yes?" She forwardly asked.

"I don't know." He answered, running a hand through his hair again. His soul was screaming at his head for even considering it. Could he handle being close to her again? "I need some air." He said, picking up his jacket and rushing out to the street. The sun was setting and the colors of the sky were a beautiful mix of reds and strong dark blues. He strolled down the street without caring that the cold evening hair was biting his cheeks.

_Damned Zhi Ruo Léi!_

He wished she'd never cleared her name of all the rumors of her making out with a different guy every day. If she didn't, he didn't have to be worried about seeing her again, because Thomas Astruc knew better than to call a bad reputation actress to play the role of a heroine such as Ladybug.

He was so pissed off, right now!

Without even thinking about it, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, furiously wrote a message and pressed enter.

[18h43 Today]

_Why on earth would someone want to pretend to be Zhi Ruo Léi?_

Because, WHY? _Why_ on earth would someone want to pretend to be Zhi Ruo Léi?

She was beautiful.

She was nice.

She had the most gorgeous warm_ fake_ smile.

All of her. It was all fake. A lie that only him seemed to see.

Why couldn't they see it too?

He sat on the grass in the Wide Park and lied down to look up at the sky, as it's vibrant colors turned black.

Zhi Ruo had broken him. She was the reason he had closed himself in his art. The reason that he took the harder way on his path to be a designer. More than anything, he wanted to be better than her. He wanted to be there for his friends and if he ever found love again, he wanted to be true, like she never was.

Was he a coward because he feared their reencounter? Was it even worse than a part of him desperately wanted to see her again? He feared more than anything that she could charm him right back into her arms. That he would fall for her all over again because of her beautiful bewitching lies.

Words are a dangerous thing. Words can start wars, and words can bring peace. Words can make someone swoon, and words can break a person's heart. But more terrible than normal powerful words, where lies covered as the truth.

Those were the worst kind of words.

The ones you believe in with all your heart and then they reveal themselves as lies.

It was as if you'd believed your whole life that the sky would always be there, just to find out it is slowly falling over your head, breaking into pieces, and there's just nothing you can do about it. The world falls on you and there's nothing you can do.

There was _nothing_ he could do.

Guilt started to crawl into his system. He shouldn't have exploded to the Red Thread girl like that. She wasn't doing the right thing, by pretending to be someone else, but it wasn't her fault that he had desperately needed to burst out and she practically had offered herself as a guinea-pig.

He picked his phone once again and typed:

_I'm sorry if I was rude. But I'm sure that, whoever you are, you can do so much better than Léi..._

He reread the message and pressed sent.

Adrien knew that with a username like hers — Buggzhinette —, the girl was much likely a fan of Zhi's and Miraculous, so she wouldn't be very receptive to any of his comments, but if he could just make someone change hearts about Zhi Ruo's, that would be a victory.

The answer from Buggzhinette came around 1 am, and it said:

[1h12 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You shouldn't really make assumptions about what you don't know. And yes, you were rude, apologies not accepted._

Adrien smirked to his phone.

The text had arrived right on time. He was about to turn his phone off and go to sleep. He looked at the device and thought about how he should answer. The girl was in a dating app, so maybe he shouldn't flirt with her. It would give the wrong impression. Plus, he was absolutely sure that she as a fraud. Léi would never open an account on such a dishonest dating app, or any app for the matter, that much he knew. Another proof was that her profile was now completely blank. No picture, no name. The obvious move of someone who had just been caught. But for some reason, he still wanted to let her know what Léi was really like. Without offending her, if possible...

[1h15 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, but I'm not assuming anything. I know that you, whoever you are, can't be worse than Léi._

He waited for her answer, but ten minutes after, he kept waiting. Deciding with a sigh that she wasn't going to answer he typed again.

[1h26 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I'm sorry, again. I really didn't mean to offend you. You're obviously a fan, but be careful with Léi._

Giving up on this conversation already, he turned off the lights and motioned to do the same with his phone, when a new notification popped up.

[1h28 Today]

Buggzhinette:_ You need to learn not to say things that require an apology right after, mister._

[1h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I prefer to ask for forgiveness than permission._

[1h29 Today]

Buggzhinette: _That's not very polite, is it?_

Adrien smirked at the phone._ This girl is witty. _He thought, amused. When she didn't add anything else to her comment, he decided to do it himself.

[1h31 Today]

Chat_Noir999:_ Can you tell me your name?_

He eagerly waited, looking at his phone.

[1h34 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Zhi Ruo Léi. What about yours?_

He let out a low chuckle. That was expectable of her to answer. Well, if she wanted to play it like this, he was going to do the same.

By telling the truth, of course.

[1h31 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Adrien Devereaux_

* * *

_**This is the 3rd chapter, so if you didn't like reading this story until now, you can officially stop reading it xD If you are having fun with this unconventional fanfiction, I hope you stick around for more ^^**_

_**I'm writing my master thesis, so I won't have a specific day to post, I will post when I can (probably once a week, but it might be longer, so I won't promise anything). **_

_**Stay Miraculous, **_

_**AuriMoon***_


	5. Catphone

_**Cat**_**phone**

* * *

[1h15 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, but I'm not assuming anything. I know that you, whoever you are, can't be worse than Léi._

She stared at the phone, frozen. Her brain started working fast, trying to track a moment in her career when she disappointed her fans. There was that scandal surrounding her name because of her _double_ snogging and making out with different guys every day, but that had been cleared up, thank goodness.

Plus, that had been a piece of disappointing news for _all_ her fans... not something personal.

What exactly did she do to this guy to make him think she was the worse person on earth?

Did she really wanted to know, though?

He'd implied that there was no one worse than her...

Her heart started beating faster. What do you answer to something like _that_?

[1h26 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I'm sorry, again. I really don't mean to offend you. You're obviously a fan, but be careful with Léi._

"Be careful—? BE CAREFUL?" She busted out, "What the hell does he think I am?!" She yelled at the phone. "The Boogie Man?"

Feeling exceptionally angry, Zhi typed back what was the start of an extended lecture about how people just talk about what they don't know. But she stopped in the middle of it. If she was to find out what she'd done to this guy, or if he was just a weirdo and there was nothing to do about it, she had to do it more cautiously.

Breathing in and exhaling out to calm herself down, she deleted everything she'd written and typed something else:

[1h28 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You need to learn not to say things that require an apology right after, mister._

_Yes, that was a good answer._

[1h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _It's better to ask for forgiveness than permission._

_Seriously?_

Zhi let out a low groan.

[1h29 Today]

Buggzhinette: _But it's not very polite, is it?_

This guy...

Honestly. What an idiot.

[1h31 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Can you tell me your name?_

Zhi blinked at the phone, not believing this person's guts.

He really didn't believe she was Zhi Ruo Léi.

But to be fair, if someone told her one month ago that she'd open an account on a dating app, she wouldn't believe it either.

What to answer though? She couldn't just pretend to be someone else just to please this guy.

Knowing that he wouldn't believe her anyway, she typed the truth.

[1h34 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Zhi Ruo Léi. What about yours?_

She waited eagerly, knowing that he might lie because he thought that she was lying too.

[1h35 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Adrien Devereaux_

Her stomach jumped to her throat when she saw that name. Memories flooded her mind.

And then, a loud snort came out of Zhi Ruo's mouth.

Adrien Devereaux was the last person, in the world, that would join a dating app.

Covering her mouth, she rolled with laughter in her bed.

This person might be an idiot, but he did have a sense of humor. Also, his imagination sucked: If she was Zhi Ruo Léi, he had to be... Adrien Devereaux! The perfect match for a fan's eyes.

She didn't remember a time where she laughed alone for so long.

[1h40 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Right here, this is exactly how I always thought the reveal of Ladybug and Chat Noir should go! It would save them so many headaches!_

She did know that there wouldn't be not much of a story to tell if it just happened like that, but as a fan of Miraculous Ladybug, she was just _desperate_ to see Adrien and Marinette together. Although she wasn't really desperate to play Marinette's part on that part...

[1h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I guess this is the beginning of a new story, M'Lady._

Zhi smirked at the phone. She knew what he meant. He wasn't telling her his identity because he thought she wasn't telling him hers, so this was the beginning of a Ladybug and Chat Noir's dance.

[1h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Why not save us the trouble and tell me who you really are?_

[1h44 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I just did. I'm Adrien Devereaux. You're the one with the spots still on._

Zhi sighed at the screen. It was no use. She could easily end this... She could ask for his number and video call him, just like she'd done with the other two guys Alice had picked for her to date. But something in her gut told her not to. Plus, she was enjoying this new pen-pal conversation more than she cared to admit. This guy didn't believe she was Zhi, therefore he wasn't treating her differently. It was nice to chat with someone new who wasn't talking to her just because she was famous or rich.

Anyway, she could sleep on it, and decide what to do in the morning.

[1h47 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Well then, I will just call you Kitty or Chat from now on. Until you come clean. ^^_

She didn't wait long for the answer.

[1h48 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sounds like a plan M'Lady._

* * *

Zhi was leaving the house to meet with Thomas Astruc, when her '_Cat_phone' beeped. She had changed the notification sound to the transformation warning beep from Ladybug's and Chat Noir's suit, and the calls ringtone to the Miraculous theme song — not that she expected to get more calls to that phone, but you never know. She'd also placed a sticker of Chat Noir's paw symbol in the back of the phone. She was only sad that the phone was white, and not red like the Batphone.

[8h08 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Good morning, Bugaboo! Will you tell me your name today?_

Chat Noir had been asking her the same question every morning since they'd started texting. Zhi Ruo smirked at her old phone. The new one had arrived a day after her first conversation with Chat Noir, but she couldn't get rid of the old one now... She kept it so she could talk with her new friend slash hater. In very little time, he'd become a great companion, and surprisingly, they'd chatted every day. Pretty much all the time.

Her vacation were over a day earlier than they should: Astruc was a busy man and had made time for her. Together they were going to set up the arrangements to the filming of the new Miraculous, considering the first month of filming was at the same time as the last month of filming the other movie Zhi Ruo was starring.

[8h09 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Hello, Kitty! You're up early, today!_

In the first days, when he'd asked her name, she'd responded truthfully. But now she just ignored the question. There was no use. Her answer would never change, like he expected it to. Somewhere inside her, she amusedly waited for the day when he realized that she really wasn't lying. His face would be priceless. She was having a hard time imagining his face, though, when Adrien's kept popping up, but she would eventually manage.

[8h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Still keeping it a mystery, I see!_

[8h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Well, you told me yesterday that you had your important meeting at 8h30, so I'm up to give you some friendly support! Also, I have a brief of my own with two friends of mine — Let's call them Tikki and Plagg — so that we can create our own business._

Zhi snorted softly, as she got in the back seat of the car.

"Hi, Zhi!" Said Charlotte, excited, "Are you ready for today?"

"Sure" She answered, with an absent smile as she typed back on her Catphone. The car started driving them to Astruc's office.

[8h13 Today]

Buggzhinette: _For a Miraculous fan, you don't seem to know much about the Miraculous World... xD You do know that Adrien Agreste isn't friends with Tikki, right? At least not yet... Can't you find more fitting names for your friends? Also, you're starting a new business? Do tell!_

"Zhi-Ruo-to-earth, over?" Asked Charlotte, suspiciously, making Zhi slightly jump.

"Oh, sorry, Lottie! I didn't even greet you properly!" Zhi shook her head and gave Charlotte a small hug.

"That's better!" She laughed, lightly, "What's up with the phone?" She asked, cautiously, "Didn't you buy a new one?"

Zhi Ruo felt a hint of guilt. She had deleted the app, like her manager suggested, but she had reinstalled it again... Charlotte would probably think she shouldn't be talking with Chat... But she just couldn't help herself anymore!

_Beep Beep_

The Catphone received a new text.

Zhi breathed, "I haven't discarded this phone because I have a friend that I can only contact through it." She said making a suggestive face so that Charlotte understood she was talking about the Red Thread App. She immediately received a not-impressed look from her Manager, and before she could say anything, Zhi added, "I'll tell you all about it later, okay?" She made a signal towards the driver. They weren't alone.

Charlotte sighed, not really having much of a choice but to wait until after the meeting with Astruc.

In the meantime, Zhi Ruo was smirking like a lunatic at her old phone, again.

[8h20 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, I assure you that Tikki and Plagg are as fitting as it gets. Plagg is the skeptical one, so I have to present to him my plan for the long run, so that he will help me out. Tikki will basically do the maths, since she is in the economics college, here in London. And I will do the creativity part. I'm a fashion designer, but you probably already knew that. ;P_

Ignoring the fact that she obviously didn't know that he was a fashion designer because he'd never told her, Zhi decided to tease him a little.

[8h22 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Uhh! And is this new business fashion related? Maybe you could make some pieces for me! Unless you have a problem with Zhi Ruo Léi wearing your designed clothes._

[8h22 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Ah! Right... I forgot about that little detail._

[8h23 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I guess I could make you a special price. 50% more expensive? Since you're Zhi Ruo Léi, you obviously can pay!_

Zhi giggled to the phone, earning herself a questioning look from Charlotte, that until now had let her be and was busy with her time schedules and post-it's reminders.

[8h23 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _On second thought, 60% more expensive sounds better. And no free shipping! Since you're Léi, you live in Paris, and mail is very very expensive._

Zhi kept giggling. She was very curious about his work, now.

The car pulled to a stop and Charlotte got out of the car, followed by Zhi. Two security guards quickly surrounded and accompanied them to the building. People were already making a big commotion just to the sight of them. Once they got into the building, Zhi wrote the last message she would text him for the next hour or so.

[8h24 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I really don't care about the price. I would love to wear something that was designed by my Kitty just for me. I have to go now. Good Luck impressing Plagg, that's known to be a hard thing to do. Maybe try to give him some cheese? Kisses*_

She sighed, turned off the Catphone and changed to her professional mode. Astruc as almost family, but business was business.

They were called to this office the minute his secretary saw them. Smiling gently they followed her and she let them in, to meet with Thomas Astruc.

"Zhi Ruo Léi" He said smiling dearly, "Long time no see!" He got up from his luxurious chair and gave them a handshake each, "Hello, Charlotte" He added.

"Hello, Mr. Astruc." Charlotte answered as she shook his hand.

"Thomas, how have you been?" Zhi asked, respectfully.

"Great, great!" He said, inviting them to sit on the armchairs in front of his desk with a movement of his hand, "I can't tell you how crazy excited this New Miraculous comeback is making me!"

They laughed politely, and Zhi Ruo added, "Oh, I can imagine."

"You're excited too, ahm?" He said rubbing his hands against each other.

"You could say that." She smiled and received a warning look from Charlotte that escaped the director.

"Well then," He rejoiced getting up from the chair and went through his bookshelf, "I shouldn't be doing this, but your a special case and I'm very impressed that you'll be filming two movies in which you play the starring role at the same time!" He finally found what he was looking for and sat back on his chair, facing them and looking directly at Zhi, "This is the finished script for the movie. We managed to end it yesterday. We are only supposed to give this to the actors in two weeks, but... Here." He offered her the screenplay. She took it, bewildered. "Like this, you have more time to study your part." He winked at her.

"Thank you, Thomas." She said, holding the book with both her hands, "This will definitely help!"

"Good, good! Now, as for your filming schedule, we are trying to book everyone else's scenes in the first month, but Marinette and Ladybug take part in more than 70 percent of the scenes in this movie, so let's look at your schedule in 'Where the flowers grow' and see what we can do to make your life easier." He said smiling confidently as Charlotte searched on her briefcase for Zhi's schedule.

When she finally found it, they went on a thirty-minute-long conversation from which Zhi eventually spaced out. She flipped the screen script in her hands and opened it up on a random page. She looked at the right page and started reading:

_(...)_

_Chat Noir covers Marinette's eyes with a band._

_MARINETTE_

_(murmurs)_

_Are you sure you want to do this, Kitty?_

_CHAT NOIR_

_I am._

_Even if you end up seeing who I am,_

_(pause)_

_(low voice)_

_I trust you._

_(turns her around to face him and whispers)_

_Plagg, Claws Out._

_Green-light spreads through the screen._

_They kiss._

_Kiss gets more intense. Clothes are taken._

_(...)_

"What's this?" Zhi abruptly interrupted Thomas, turning the opened book to him. She was more flushed than she had ever been in her entire life, "Are there sex scenes in this Miraculous movie?" She asked absolutely mortified. If so, that was way further than she was willing to go.

"No!" Thomas laughed it off, "There's nothing _that_ explicit!" He said, pointing at the end of the page where it said 'Fade Out. In the next morning (...)'.

Zhi let herself breathe and felt Charlotte relax. She had jumped into conclusions. Still, she wasn't fond of the idea of having to be so intimate with Adrien Devereaux.

As if he was reading her mind, Thomas Astruc said, with a cunning tone, as if he was daring her, "If you're not comfortable with some things on the script, we can make your double do it instead of you."

"If I see something I find absolutely inappropriate for me to do, I will let you know." She said, recomposing herself. Inside her heart was smashing against her ribs.

He nodded, mockingly. Zhi Ruo's pride was a great thing for him as a director, but one day it would ruin the girl. She was the kind of actress that plays every part of her role, unless she physically can't do it. She'd learned how to fight and how to parkour for her character! She was one of a kind. There weren't many like her out there.

The meeting ended without further notice, as Zhi tried her hardest not to scream by the constant replay of that scene in her head.

When the girls were outside, Zhi rushed to the car, that was already waiting and waited to get home so that she could explode away from curious eyes. She turned on the phone and saw she had a message from Chat Noir.

[8h26 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Your wish is my command, M'Lady. Good Luck with your meeting. Let me know how it goes! xoxo_

Zhi let herself smile at her Catphone when all she wanted was to cry. She couldn't have such moments with the person that recked her heart. It was way too much for her... How would she get through with it?

Charlotte gave her a worried look as the car took them to Zhi's place.

"Are you okay?" She asked, softly.

_No._

She felt weak.

She couldn't even find the strength to let Chat Noir know how bad it'd been.

But she was a great actress, and this driver was a new employee, so she let out an overly confident, "Yes, of course."

Understanding the message, Charlotte stayed quite for the rest of the journey.

Once they were on Zhi's safe haven, she let herself fall to her couch and tried very hard not to look as miserable as she felt.

They had to kiss.

Several times.

And not just sweet kisses, like in the last Miraculous movies.

Making-out kisses.

Could she kiss him like that and make it look real?

"Zhi, if you don't want to be that close to Adrien, there are scenes where you don't have to. That's why you have a double, to do what you don't feel comfortable doing." Charlotte said, sitting beside her on the couch.

"You know that's not how I work." She exhaled, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Maybe you should consider changing the way you work?" Charlotte asked. Zhi looked at her with her brows raised. She wasn't going to change and they both knew it. "Well, then you have to prepare yourself for it."

"This will be my hardest part so far." She said, nodding, agreeing with Alice.

_Beep Beep_

Zhi took her Catphone off her pocket jeans and read Chat's new text.

[10h37 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _How was it, Bugaboo?_

_Beep Beep_

[10h37 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I bet it wasn't better than mine, because mine was awesome! I have so much to tell you!_

Zhi Ruo's lip trembled. Of course, his had been better than hers... Hers had been a complete disaster.

"Zhi, why do you still have that phone? And why is it opened on the dating app?" Charlotte let out resigned. She really didn't want to reprimand her friend when she looked so fragile, but she had to look for Zhi's future best interests.

"I met this guy," Zhi started, looking as if she was about to burst into tears, "He calls me Ladybug and I call him Chat Noir," she looked down at her Catphone fondly, "He doesn't know who I am and I don't know who he is. And that's okay." She looked up, determination shining on her eyes, "I don't know, and I don't care. He is my friend! He makes me laugh and he understands me!" She looked again at the Cat Phone and then at Charlotte, "I eagerly wait for his text every day! So I'm not giving him up. He is good for me. He makes me feel like I'm not alone."

Charlotte gaped at Zhi for a moment, and then she shrugged, "You can keep your friend, Zhi. I can't control your life, but please promise me you'll be careful." She said.

"I promise." Zhi said, unknowingly hugging the Catphone close to her chest.

Charlotte nodded and then added, "And you are not alone."

Zhi smiled gratefully, "I know."

* * *

_**Hope you are enjoying it so far! **_

_**I have many, MANY surprises and Twists and Turns prepared, so hold on tight! ^^ **_

_**This story isn't getting as much attention as I thought it would (as Spots Off, Claws Out did) but, to everyone that's been reading it,: Thank you for all your support! Your reviews make my day brighter and I'm so glad that at least some people are enjoying this weird fiction with me! Seriously, THANK YOU. **_

_**Bug Out, **_

_**AuriMoon**_


	6. Anonymous

_**Dear Miraculers, **_

_**I want to let you know that I'm traveling to Japan this Sunday, for a month, in order to complete my Thesis. I'M SOOOOO EXCITED OHMIGOD! *Slowly tries to calm breathing down* I'm telling you this why?, you ask.**__**Well, for obvious reasons, I won't be writing in Japan. XD There's just too much to see and so very little time! **__**... *Sighs***__** You won't be reading from me for four weeks. **__**I'm sorry. **_

_**On the plus side, you will get to miss me and my writing even more, so the next chapter I post**__** will appear even MORE AMAZING to you! (just kidding .)**_

_**Here's the chapter! ^^ Enjoy.**_

* * *

[10h57 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Tell me everything!_

Zhi managed to type after Charlotte left to make the arrangements for the next Monday. She had this next weekend free and then she had to start cramming the 'Where the flowers grow' script. She had two weeks to learn it by heart and hopefully start on the 'Miraculous' one too. After that, she'd travel to America a week early for Mulan's premiere. Right after she had around three days to go see Alice and her family and then she'd head to Ireland to start the shooting 'Where the flowers grow'. Luckily the movie was being recorded in Ireland and in Paris, and Charlotte had arranged things so that the shooting in Paris was in the last month, making it match the Miraculous shooting.

She still had to find the perfect dress for Mulan's Premiere (hopefully this weekend), or ask a certain cat if he'd be willing to do it for her on such short notice.

After the 'vacation' she had just had, she was longing to return to work, even though her 'first day' hadn't been as good as she hoped for. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope with the fact that she had to kiss Adrien senseless, act like she was in love with him and pretend to be fine with it.

Zhi glared at the script for the Miraculous movie, laying on the coffee table where she'd left it. All she wanted at the moment was to burst out and ask for someone's advice...

_No._

If she was true to herself, she didn't want someone's advice. She wanted _Chat's_ advice.

She wanted to tell Chat what had happened, but she didn't want to ruin his good mood. His meeting had gone well and she was very happy for him. At least one of them had good news to share. Maybe his good news would cheer her up.

She should call Alice today, for sure. She needed her best friend's help.

[11h07 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You don't have to ask twice! SOOOO, Plagg and Tikki are on board. We have decided to accept a big client and, hopefully, I won't regret it. I have another friend that I can count with, but she won't help much for now 'cuz she is already working on a fashion atelier and I couldn't just ask her to leave a perfectly safe job for one... well, not so safe. In the beginning, it will be me coming up with designs, mostly. Tikki and Plagg will help with the bureaucracy. Now we have to figure out a name for the brand._

Zhi read the text and felt this hint of coldness when he mentioned his _other_ friend that he could count on. He'd never mentioned her before...

Shaking off the uneasy thoughts that had crossed her mind, she smiled at how great already having a big client was. She was sure he was going to succeed, even though she had never seen his work before.

[11h09 Today]

Buggzhinette: _That is so great!_ _You have your hands full, I see! Does that mean that you don't have time for another new client, then?_

[11h09 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You have been brainstorming names ever since you agreed to go forward with the brand, haven't you? xD_

Should she ask him for a gown to the premiere? His opinion about her hadn't changed yet. Was it enough that he liked to talk to her now, once he found out that she really was who she said she was?

It would have to be enough. She hoped it was enough. Chat didn't seem the kind of person how would stop talking to her just because he had some weird grudge against her as a celebrity...

What if he really had a reason to hate her, though?

_No._ She waved away her bad thought and breathed in, focussing on her Catphone's screen.

[11h10 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You mean you, as a new client? xD Are you really interested in wearing something I create, without even looking at my pieces first?_

[11h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Plus, yes. You know me so well already, M'Lady! It's like we are meant to be! _*Zhi rolled her eyes at this, but her grin broadened* _We are currently in my living room, brainstorming names and I'm getting glared at by Plagg, who probably thinks I'm not THAT interested since I can't stop texting you. Ahahaha!_

Zhi smiled and then sighed, resigned.

She would ask him for the gown, tell him where she was going to use it, pay for it and use it on the Premiere. This way he would understand she hadn't been lying to him. No matter had he held against her, that had to count to something right? What better way to let him know, then to use his first designed gown on a Hollywood premiere? His brand would launch itself if she wore his outfits in front of the media.

[11h15 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Tell him I'm a new customer and that I will pay 60% more than the others! ;)_

She eagerly waited for the reply with a silly smile on her lips.

[11h16 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I did! You should have seen his face! And Tikki's too! I explained to them it was an arrangement between friends and Tikki immediately said: " Adrien, that's not how friends discounts work..." Now I can't stop laughing._

Her smile wavered a little when he called himself 'Adrien', but she shook it off and quickly typed.

[11h17 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I wish I was there to see it! AHAHAH! But I mean it! Please charge me whatever you feel fit for what I'm about to ask you. You can add the 60%! ;P I'm a millionaire, remember? ^^_

Zhi waited for his answer, feeling a bit nervous. She kept telling him she was Zhi Ruo Léi... Letting many, many clues in his way, and he still didn't believe her. Maybe he would once she ordered her dress...

[11h20 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I wish you were here too. :) This is weird to say, and I hope things don't get awkward after I say it, but I don't know what I'd do without you now. It's been like two weeks, but you've kinda become a part of my life. So, YES. Of course, I will accept you as a new customer even if I don't really have time for it. xD What would you want me to make you?_

Zhi couldn't help herself, she squealed at the cuteness of his text. After that, she was pretty sure he wouldn't just cut her off when he found out she really was Zhi Ruo.

[11h22 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Aw! Don't worry, Kitty. If it's up to me, things won't get weird at all. I feel the same way too!_

[11h23 Today]

Buggzhinette: _About the gown. I don't know if you already know, but on the 25th there will be a Premiere on Hollywood, for the movie Mulan, from Disney. I will have to attend. Will you create my gown? I know it's very short notice. I will buy one just in case something goes wrong. You have two weeks (see what I meant by something going wrong?). I'll leave to Los Angeles on the 19th, so the gown has to be ready and send to my place before that. Think you can manage, Chaton?_

[11h24 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Wow, was that a challenge, Boogaboo?_

Zhi giggled and typed back.

[11h24 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Does that mean it's on? :P_

[11h25 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You bet! Challenge accepted. :O_

Zhi giggled at her phone again. Chat Noir was really a great nickname for him. He behaved exactly like the character!

[11h26 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Okay! I will send you my measures right away and wait for you to make a budget for the gown. Then I will pay and you can make the dress and send it to me! ^^_

[11h27 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sounds like a plan! I will talk to Tikki and Plagg and I will tell you something about it later, okay? (I'm in the bathroom hiding from Plagg's glares. He and Tikki must be wondering what the hell did I eat to stay in the bathroom for so long. XDD) I got to go, okay?_

Zhi snorted a little and typed her goodbyes, feeling the sadness coming back.

[11h27 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Sure thing, Chat! Talk to you later. :*_

She wished he found out who she was. And she wished he didn't hate her for it. She wanted to tell him everything about the real Adrien. She wanted him to be horrified with what Adrien had done to her and promise her that he'd never do such a thing.

Groaning, Zhi got up and decided to run on her treadmill, to lay off some steam. She wished she could go run along the riverside, but she wasn't in the mood for fans and paparazzi.

* * *

"That took you long enough!" Said Lucie, crossing her arms against her chest, but grinning suggestively.

"We were wondering if you'd fallen off the toilet." Blatantly added Simon. Adrien chuckled as he shook his head. He couldn't fool his friends not even for a minute. "So, are you going to stop chatting with your friend and start getting serious about this, or what?"

"We've stopped chatting." Grinned Adrien, "Not because I wanted to," He continued, with his index finger up, "but we're not doing anything else than brainstorm until we find the damn name. That's the top priority."

"That's right!" Cheered Lucie, exited.

"Also, we have to hurry, because I just got us another order." Added Adrien, looking extremely full of himself.

"Oh, she wasn't joking, then?" Asked Lucie, impressed. Adrien's new friend was working wonders on him. They all could see it. Lucie knew that Adrien had suffered a lot with Zhi Ruo's break up. Back in the day, they all treated Lucie like a child — she didn't blame them, she was one when it'd happened — but she had always been a very empath child... She didn't really remember the nuances of their break up, but she remembered how it affected her group of friends and how Adrien was never the same. That old Adrien was appearing again when he chatted with this girl from the Red Thread app. And he might not realize it now, but he was falling in love with her. Lucie recognized the signs. She also thought that Adrien had decided to go through with Thomas Astruc's deal because of her, the girl he was texting everyday-non-stop. He didn't look so afraid of facing Zhi Ruo Léi anymore. He had 'his Lady', as he called her, by his side.

Adrien smirked, "Nop! She is attending a _Premiere_ and she needs a gown." He made invisible quotes with his fingers on the word 'premiere'.

"Okaaay?" Lucie let out, looking at Simon for support. Adrien was acting weird. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't told them anything specific about this girl...

"As long as she pays." Shrugged Simon, not seeing any problem in adding a gown to the list.

"What Premiere is she attending?" Asked Lucie, suspicious. "Plus, what does she do for a living? I don't think you told us yet."

"_Disney's_ _Mulan Premiere_" Again, he did the invisible quotes with his fingers, grinning even wider, as if he was telling an inside joke that no one but him could understand. "Honestly, I have no idea what she does for a living. I think she works in the movie industry, she knows way too much about how things work. But for now, we are keeping our identities as secrets. It's funnier like this!" He grinned, but he also swallowed dry. That was how Lucie knew he wasn't okay with it. Through the past year, she had been learning Adrien's expressions, and she'd become very good at it. That's how she knew he desperately wanted to know his mystery friend. To meet the girl that had become so important in such a small amount of time.

"Hum." Said Lucie, dryly, "You know, I'm very impressed that you decided to be professional and accept Thomas Astruc proposition, even if you're using doubles on the kissing scenes, so I'm gonna let it slide for now."

Adrien chuckled at his overly-protective little 'sister'.

"Break time is over, kids. Let's please find a name for the brand?" Interrupted Simon, pretending to be bored. Lucie could see past that too. He was, like her, worried about his friend, he just had different approaches than hers. And she knew he would put then into motion when he found himself alone with Adrien.

"Sure, how about..." Adrien started, rubbing his hands one against the other, "'Adrien'?" He smiled, not very convinced.

Lucie snorted at this.

"Pff," Said Simon dryly, "Someone is feeling full of himself."

Lucie giggled some more.

Adrien's cheeks became slightly red, "It's not like that! I just thought..." He sighed, defeated, "In Miraculous series, the fashion brand Gabriel Agreste created is called 'Gabriel'!" Simon raised his eyebrows which made Adrien really frustrated. He had been the only one pointing out ideas so far... "Plus, every great designer brand has the designer's name on it! 'Yves Saint Laurent', 'Channel', 'Gucci', 'Versace'!" He listed, counting them with his fingers, "I can keep going..."

"No, it's okay, we understand your point." Said Lucie, with a softening voice, and glaring at Simon. Simon rolled his eyes and Lucie decided to ignore him. Instead, she faced Adrien, "Look, we know all that, not as good as you do, but we're not dumb. The problem is... I thought you didn't want people to buy your designs because you are Adrien Devereaux, the actor and model, but because you are Adrien Devereaux the designer. And that's not going to happen if you just smash your name on the label."

Adrien sighed and sat on an armchair, looking disappointed. Lucie was right.

"So far, the best we came up with was Catwalk, but I really don't want the brand you create to be a pun, Adrien..." Lucie continued, and Adrien nodded, not looking at her.

"I agree with Lucie, but let's stick with Catwalk for now." Said Simon, sounding weirdly optimistic, "If we find something better we will change it later. It doesn't have to be fixed until you sell your first piece."

"And that means less than two weeks." Adrien added, agreeing with his friends.

"Two weeks?" Asked Lucie with her eyes very open.

Adrien grinned, "Yes, M'Lady gave me less than two weeks to create her gown and she kinda made it as a dare, so I will do it even If I don't sleep!" The sentence became more dramatic as he spoke. He was suddenly looking very excited instead of defeated like a few moments ago.

Lucie blinked and then shrugged, "Okay."

"Do you have any ideas of what will you design for her?" Asked Simon, suddenly curious with Adrien's shift of mood.

"Tones of ideas, but I guess I should research a bit first... It's the Mulan's Premiere, so I will make something with Chinese concept. Makes sense, right?" Lucie nodded and Simon shrugged indifferently, earning himself another glare from the girl, to which he responded with a sly grin, "Maybe it's too obvious..." Adrien said, ignoring his friends.

"It's not too obvious, Adrien." Assured Lucie, "Of course you won't make the obvious Chinese styled dress for her, right? You just have to find a cool context and work on it until only very knowledgeable people can find it's meaning! Like you always do! That's why your work is so good! It's like a riddle waiting to be solved! You don't want people to know right away! That'd be boring!"

Adrien looked at Lucie with his eyes very opened, as if he'd just had an epiphany. He got up and he started walking back and forth.

"Adrien?" Asked Lucie, interested.

"That's it." He said looking at his friends, "That's it! That's why we can't figure out a good name! We have to find a concept!" He stopped walking and frowned a bit, rubbing the back of his head, "So, we all know I don't want the brand to succeed because of me... But because of my talent."

Simon snorted, "Very modest."

Adrien chuckled a bit, not even bothering to look embarrassed.

"You mean, you want your brand to be anonymous?" Lucie asked, not sure she was getting his line of thought right.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "And something that has to make people think to figure it out. So that it's not boring!"

"Actually 'Anonymous' sounds pretty good for a brand name." Said Simon, taking his hand to his chin.

Lucie nodded, feeling the vibe of the name.

"Nah" Discarded Adrien, "It's too big. Can you imagine making a logo with such a big name? What a nightmare." He sighed. He wasn't a graphic designer, but he knew how hard it was to work with typography and patterns in clothes, he could only imagine what was like to work with only type and some graphic elements, where everyone could notice its flaws because it wasn't in a sweater or dress. "I like where this is going, though. Anonymity pleases me more than I thought it would."

"Okay..." Said Lucie, knowing she couldn't refute what Adrien had just said, "So... Anonymous synonyms?"

Adrien nodded, and started saying what came to his mind, "'Uncredited'- Nah, not catchy enough. Hum... 'UnID'? As in Unidentified? No. It's awful."

"Maybe we should just give you a pseudonym... Like 'John Doe'?" Lucie laughed and Adrien joined her, but Simon looked pensive.

"What if it was 'X'?" Simon asked, very seriously.

"'X' as in the letter 'X'?" Lucie asked, slightly confused.

Adrien grinned and nodded approvingly, "I really like 'X'."

Simon smiled, smugly, "Yes, Luce, 'X' as in incognito."

"'X' as in factor X. The incognito talent and hidden riddle waiting to be solved." Added Adrien, feeling that no name would become better than that one.

"Well, I don't really see the appeal, but if you like it that much, sure. Let it be called 'X'!"

* * *

"Al, it was terrible..." Zhi complained on the phone, "When I saw that scene on the script I wanted to cry and die at the same time."

"I can imagine..." Alice response came from the phone's speaker. Zhi Ruo was now starting to cut lettuce to add to the soup she was making for her dinner, "After everything, you will have to see him again and kiss him? Are you sure you don't want to consider a double?"

"No." Cut Zhi, immediately, "You know I don't do doubles unless absolutely necessary."

"I was just saying because it could spear you some tears and heartbreak in the future." Zhi practically envisioned Alice shrug.

"I know, but I've changed enough of my life because of him. I'm not going to stain my principles too." Zhi answered, checking on the boiling water with potato and carrot.

"I guess you have a point there." Alice said, thoughtful.

Zhi sighed in response.

"Well, the good part is, we will get to be rivals again!" Cheered Alice, obviously trying to change the topic.

Zhi grinned, "Actually, I've read a bit of the script... I'm not supposed to say this, or even tell you I have the script, but Chloe Bourgeois has suffered some changes..."

"What do you mean?" Asked Alice, sounding like she didn't know if she should feel scared.

"She and Marinette are getting along in this movie." Laughed Zhi.

Alice squealed, "That means we won't have to act like we hate each other! OH MY GOD! YES!" Zhi laughed at her best friend's reaction.

"That's right! I'm really liking your character now, Al."

"Oh, shut it!" Giggled Alice, "You always liked Chloe Bourgeois! She has style. Yes, she is a bitch, but she has a heart,... deep down!"

"Deep down." Agreed Zhi, still laughing.

"How is your Chat Noir doing?" Alice abruptly asked.

"Oh, he is great. He is making me a gown for the Mulan's Premiere!" Zhi started excitedly telling Alice the details of her intricate plan for her reveal to him. And when she finished, Alice stood quiet for a couple of seconds.

"You think that's a good idea?" She asked, unsure.

"Yeah..?" Answered Zhi, "Why? You don't?"

"I don't know..." Alice sighed, "It's just that..."

"Yes?" Zhi pressured a little when Alice didn't finish her sentence.

Alice exhaled firmly as if she'd just made a decision, then she started talking really fast, "It's just that you are obviously in love with the guy. Which is kind of absurd, considering the situation. But if he finds out you are the girl he hates,..." She paused and Zhi was afraid her friend would hear her heart beating, "It might not end well."

"I'm not in love with Chat! I don't even know him!" Answered Zhi, a bit annoyed, once she recovered from Alice's speech.

_Was Alice right, though? Would she get her heart broken again?_

Zhi gulped.

But that didn't mean she was in love with him, did it?

"Zhi Ruo." Alice said her name as if she already knew that she would deny her 'love' for her pen-pal, which made Zhi scared. "I know you." Alice was right. She did know her. Better than anyone else, she might add. Better than she knew herself, sometimes, "I've only seen you react like this and talk like this about one person before, and that was a long time ago. Even if you don't see it just yet... There's no escaping now and that is scaring me because, honestly, this little love story of yours can end really badly."

Zhi didn't know how to respond to this.

She couldn't be in love with a random guy that she'd been texting for the last two weeks. She didn't even know his real name!

"No, Alice." Said Zhi with certainty, "I'm definitely not in love with Chat. You got it all wrong!"

"Hum... If you say so..." Alice answered, with doubt staining her voice, but not wanting to pressure further.

"I do. He is just an online friend. And not that important." As she said it, Zhi stomach shrank, uncomfortably.

She hadn't realized it until now: Chat was really _important_ to her.

Even if she wasn't in love with him like Alice had accused, she really didn't know if she could take it if Chat was to hate her even more once he found out the truth... She might end up with a broken heart, anyway.

_Not that important._

The moment those words had come out of her mouth, she knew they were a lie.

* * *

**_Thank you so much for the amazing reviews. Like I said before, you might not me MANY, but you are AMAZING readers. The best I could ever ask for! I promise you I will not let you down with this! _**

**_AuriMoon*_**


	7. Dresses, Flowers and Joy

**_Miraculous readers, I'm back! Hope you missed me! ^^ Ahahahha_**

**_I can't believe I'm back... Time flew by and everything was suddenly over. I know you have been waiting for me to come back, but I wish I hadn't though. I feel very sorry to be back to my small little corner of the world where I feel so... normal. I hate this feeling._**

**_If you have time, please leave a review! I'm feeling a bit sad (if you couldn't tell yet) and hearing from you will definitely make me feel better! Please, please?_**

**_Anyways, here is the new chapter. :*_**

* * *

_**Dresses, Flowers and Joy**_

[09h01 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Good morning, Boogaboo! Is today The Day?_

Zhi Ruo was already up, cramming her script of 'Where the flowers grow'. She already knew most of the lines by heart, but she hadn't found it in her to start on the 'Miraculous' one. She was to leave for Los Angeles tomorrow afternoon. She was going to give a quick last review in this script and then start packing.

[09h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: _The day my very-expensive-surprise-dress arrives? xD I sure hope it is! If not, you won't get Premiere-free-publicity!_

Zhi Ruo was worried about this dress. Not for the reasons you'd think she'd be, though.

The thing is… Zhi had had two weeks to think it over. Two weeks to become a scaredy coward cat. Because she wasn't scared or nervous that the dress might not come on time. She was nervous that it might come _on_ time, because that meant revealing herself to Chat and she wasn't sure she wanted that anymore. Guilt was waving on her. If she wore the dress in the Premiere, she might end up losing her pen-pal. If she didn't wear it, she would be omitting her true identity, and that could be even worse on the long run.

[09h06 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You know I meant 'Is today the day?' as in… 'Will you tell me your name today?'. -.- It was implied. _

[09h06 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Also, the dress should arrive today. I sent it 4 days ago in express mail. London and Paris are not THAT far._

Zhi gulped, frowning. If the dress came today, she would have to wear it in the Premiere. It wouldn't be fair if she didn't.

[09h07 Today]

Buggzhinette: _How many times do I have to tell you my name until you finally believe me? :P I do hope the dress comes fast, I'm very excited to see if you're as good as you think you are. ^^_

[09h09 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You're funny. xD And believe me, I am as good as I think I am. I'm actually very proud of the gown I made you. I think it's superb and that will look great on you! Can I get a picture of it wearing it once it arrives? :D_

Zhi was really feeling uneasy with this conversation. It was like Hawkmoth's Akumas had invaded her insides.

She could take a picture of her body with the dress... She didn't have to show her face… Slowly exhaling, she typed back.

[09h12 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You're not very modest, are you, Kitty? +.+ And yes, once it arrives I can take a picture and send it to you! _

[09h12 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I have to work, now, Chat* Talk to you later?_

[09h09 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sure, M'Lady. I have to work too. This fashion pieces won't create themselves! Kiss :*_

Zhi Ruo sighed at her Catphone. She had been calling Alice every day, concerning this matter. Her friend thought she should really come clean and tell the guy as quickly as possible that she really was Zhi Ruo. She found herself agreeing with Alice when she was talking to her, but when she talked to him and when she was alone… All her resolve crumbled at her feet. She didn't want him to leave her…

And this was also affecting her conversations with him. She had been feeling uneasy every time he texted about her identity or the dress.

Sighing heavily, she grabbed her script and started reciting her lines without looking at them.

It was around twelve when her bell rang. She sighed and put down her script, to go to the door.

She looked at the intercom and her stomach jumped to her throat when she realized it was the mailman with a big box in his hands. Swallowing hard, she opened the garden door through the intercom and opened her front door to receive the mail.

"Good afternoon," He greeted, respectfully.

"Good afternoon-" She forced herself to smile politely.

"This is for Miss Bug..Zhi-nette?" He read from the box, tilting an eyebrow in amusement.

"That's me." She shrugged, giving the mailman a sheepish, slightly uncomfortable smile. _This was from him. This really was from Chat._

"Sign here, please, Miss Léi." He asked, politely. _Of course he knew who she was._ The man handed her, in a very awkward way — because he was holding the big box he was carrying in the process — an electronic signing device. She held the device carefully and signed, "Thank you very much." He said handing her the big box, that was very light for its size, while receiving back the signing electronic device.

"Thank you." She said, making motion to close the door.

"Miss Léi," He called, and she peeked outside, curious, "I know this isn't very professional, but my daughter, she is your biggest fan…" Zhi smiled softly, "Would you mind giving me an autograph?" He finished, shyly.

"Not at all!" She smiled at him, "Please wait here, I will be right back." She said as she closed the door. She placed the box on her coffee table and opened the Tv closet. Inside she took out a poster of the last Miraculous movie, a pen and four tickets to the Paris Premiere of Mulan in Gaumont Champs-Elysées movie theatre, one day before the movie's official release date. She opened the door, "Here, what is your daughter's name?"

He smiled broadly, "Louise."

She nodded and, using the small table on the side of the armchair in the entrance hall, she wrote in her autograph caligraphy:

_**To Louise, **_

_**Stay Miraculous***_

_**xoxo,**_

_**Zhi Ruo Léi**_

She looked at it and gave a nod. It looked good. Then she handed it to the mailman, "Here you go. I hope she likes it."

The mailman smiled gratefully, "Thank you so much, Miss. She will be thrilled!"

"And here are Premiere Tickets for Disney's Mulan to Gaumont Champs-Elysées movie theatre, for you to take your daughter and the rest of the family, or some friends." She added, handing him the tickets. He gaped at her and he slowly took the tickets. "Hope you have fun."

He beamed, grateful, "Thank you _so_ much, Miss Léi! Thank you!"

"You are very welcome." She giggled, happy with the man's reaction.

"Thank you." He repeated, walking backwards and waving at her.

She smiled and waved back, "Don't mention it." She closed the door and sighed happily.

She walked to the living room and noticed the box, lying, abandoned, on her coffee table. The discomfort came back. She had totally forgotten about what the mailman had come to deliver.

Zhi sat on the sofa and looked at the box suspiciously.

It was a normal card box. She got up to pick up an x-act and started cutting off the tape. Once she opened it, she saw the real dress box and took it off the card box. It looked like a big shoe box, it was white and on top, it had an X symbol in a silver paper that was obviously cut by hand and glued in it. She snorted lightly. Chat had put himself through some trouble to make a decent maquette box to deliver the dress.

The name he'd come up for his brand was X?

It was very mysterious, she had to admit. But so was he, so it suited its purposes.

She grabbed her Catphone and distractedly wrote.

[12h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Nice signature, Chat! :P_

She placed the Catphone aside on the table and took off the lid of the box. The dress was wrapped in a very thin tracing paper. She unwrapped it and took it off the box.

Her chin dropped.

The first impression the dress gave her was that she was holding a beautiful flower. She held the flowy soft fabric in her hands and it felt as if it was made of blossom petals. It was red in the top, but white on the bottom as if the white was being conquered by beautiful red veins.

Suddenly she had to try it on.

Zhi ran upstairs with the dress and put it on. The dress was short and long. Some petals touched the floor, while others only fell near her knees. She looked at herself in the full-body mirror.

It had a large V necklace-cut, that held her delicate shoulders and ended where the rift of her breasts started. It had a tight top part, defining her body curves in a very flattering way and it ended in a flowy skirt of flower petals that moved alone, almost as if it had a life of its own. The fabric of that dress was marvelous.

The dress looked stunning on her.

It reminded her of the Chrysanthemum, a Chinese flower.

Zhi had no idea if he had intended to make a dress with a flower's hidden meaning, but if he did, he'd chosen well. The Chrysanthemum meant optimism, joy, fidelity and long life.

A White Chrysanthemum meant truth and loyalty… But a Red Chrysanthemum conveyed 'Love'.

Zhi Ruo's cheeks became slightly red.

He was a guy. He probably didn't care about the meanings of flowers. The dress looked amazing on her and that was all that mattered.

Zhi searched for her phone to take a picture of her body with the dress on and send it to him but she didn't find it: She'd left it downstairs.

She went down into the living room feeling the light fabric float around her body. She grabbed her Catphone and saw three new income texts from Chat.

[12h50 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _How do you know that isn't a kiss?_

Zhi Ruo grinned. He was such an impossible flirt! It's funny how he immediately knew what was she referring to the X on the box, though!

[12h59 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _So… Did you like it?_

[13h02 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Does it fit? Please tell me it fits!_

Zhi smirked at the obvious anxiety that seemed to come through the messages. He wasn't so full of himself now, was he?

She had to give it to him, though, he really was a great designer. There is no harm in knowing you are good when you really are. And that dress he'd made was truly astonishing.

[13h05 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Calm down, Chaton! ;P_

Zhi climbed upstairs to take a picture to herself in the mirror.

Chat panicked even harder with her silence:

[13h06 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Why are you doing this to me?_

[13h07 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Please say something! I'm dying here! _

Zhi, who was figuring the best angle to take the picture from, signed and shook her head, slightly annoyed and amused at the same time.

[13h08 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You are impossible! :P Can I take a picture of myself without interruptions, so that I can send it to you and you can judge it yourself!?_

The reply came right away. Zhi imagined him glued to his phone's screen and grinned.

[13h08 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh._

[13h08 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sorry._

Zhi Ruo giggled and resumed taking the picture, taking her time to make him sweat. Oh, she enjoyed way too much teasing him.

Once she was satisfied with the picture, she sent it.

[13h20 Today]

Buggzhinette: _*picture*_

She had caught the right light in the dress, so that its colors looked as vibrant in the picture as they were in real life, she managed to exclude any furniture — except for the mirror — of her room and most importantly, her face was hidden behind her white Catphone.

She eagerly waited for his answer, knowing she should take off her new dress, but feeling like she couldn't just yet. It was so beautiful that she felt she never wanted to take it off again!

[13h22 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _So, _furr_st… Why are you so mean M'Lady!? Why am I not allowed to see your beautiful face? (is that a Chat Noir's Paw on your phone?)_

Zhi shallowed, feeling guilty again. Sure, she could have made things way easier by not hiding her face, but he was to blame too! She kept telling him her real identity! He was the one that didn't believe her!

[13h23 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Second… W.O.W. I'M A GOD DAMN GOOD FASHION DESIGNER. _

She snorted at this. Confident Chat Noir was back.

[13h23 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _It looks even better than I imagined! _

Zhi's heart floated a little as she smiled dearly to her Catphone.

She decided to answer one text at a time and start with the one that bothered her the most.

[13h25 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Ahahaha! Yes, there's a Chat Noir's paw on my phone. And, if you wanna see my face there's plenty of movies and magazines in the world featuring me. And I look way better in them than I look now. I didn't even brush my hair today. XD_

[13h25 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And, yes. It looks so beautiful! Fits like a glove! I have to be honest here, Chat, not in my wildest dreams I'd imagine you were this good! _

He took a while to respond. Zhi decided to undress while she waited. She put on the same homey outfit she'd been wearing before: a pair of leggings and a old t-shirt and she started selecting what to pack in her luggage.

[13h32 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, shut up! Your hair looks so beautiful today! Is your color natural? _

Zhi let out a disappointed chuckle.

He'd ignored her.

By complimenting her.

Just like he always did. Would he ignore it if she wore his unique handmade dress on a global recorded event? Was he as blind as Chat Noir and Ladybug were in the Miraculous movies?

She gave up trying to organize her clothes to start making her luggage and sat comfortably on her bed.

[13h33 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _It really looks great on you. I'm glad! :D Uff, what a relief that it arrived on time! You're leaving to LA tomorrow, right?_

[13h34 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Do you mind if I share the picture with Plagg, Tikki and Hannah?_

_Hannah? _

_Who's Hannah?_

There was no Hannah in Miraculous, not that she knew of.

He probably was referring to his 'friend' he had mentioned would help him in the fashion department. Zhi really didn't see why. Her Kitty as a fashion genius. He didn't need help in the creative department, not from Hannah and not from anyone.

[13h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Calm down, Chaton! xD I can't answer everything at the same time! _

[13h35 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sorry! It's just that I'm so excited that it looks… so good. :*_

She smiled at her phone. She knew he was complimenting his own creation, but she was the model… She couldn't help but feel flattered.

[13h38 Today]

Buggzhinette: _No problem* First question: Yes, Chat, this is my natural hair color… Second question: Yes, my flight is at 4 pm. Third: Sure, you can share it. It's your creation, not mine! Last: Who is Hannah? _

[13h39 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Hannah is my designer friend… I've told you about her, haven't I?_

[13h40 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Yes. Well, it's the first time I'm hearing the name… But yes. _*Zhi paused while writing, not sure on how to continue without sounding a creepy possessive person* _I thought we were giving our friends Miraculous names to keep them anonymous? _

[13h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Hum… We are. But I don't think I can find a character for Hannah in Miraculous, though. They wouldn't suit her. _

[13h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Princess, they loved it! -GIF Cat celebrating-_

[13h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Why? Miraculous has so MANY characters…_

[13h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Of course they did! It's amazing. A great piece. Can I ask you where did you get the inspiration from?_

[13h48 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Well, it doesn't matter now. I've told you her real name: Hannah. So let's stick with that. My concept revolves around the Chrysanthemum. *_"I knew it!" Zhi murmured, delighted.* _It's a Chinese flower that represents Joy. I chose it because it's a beautiful looking flower, because you are attending a Chinese related movie Premiere and because it represents what you make me feel: Joy. :)_

Zhi gaped at her phone. He had been so sweet just now.

_He doesn't know I'm Zhi Ruo Léi. _She reminded herself. _That's why._

Her heart sunk a little.

Zhi sighed, frustrated, and hugged her pillow fiercely. This was supposed to be fun! And it wasn't anymore. She was scared of what he might do when he found out… Because he had to find out eventually! She wanted to know him in real life! She didn't want to spend her life without getting to know him in person!

She was so lost about what to do…

One thing was certain: She didn't want to lose him. And taking his dress to the Premiere was the best way of doing that. If she could buy herself more time… Figure out what'd she done wrong for him to hate her… Try to change his mind about it…

She couldn't just lose him like that. Without knowing why. She'd gone through that once and she really didn't want to repeat. It was one of her big regrets. Not knowing _Why_.

[13h58 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Princess? I'm sorry if I pushed the line. Sometimes I act before thinking._

Zhi stared at the phone. She hadn't managed to respond, and now he thought she was mad at him.

[13h59 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Don't apologize, Kitty* It's just that I wasn't expecting that answer. You didn't cross the line, you were sweet and left me wordless. _

Her eyes were feeling itchy. So she blinked twice while she added:

[13h59 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You make me feel Joy too. _

Zhi looked at the time and her eyes widened. She had to start making her luggage, and then finish studying her script! She was already behind! She had to move.

[14h00 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Don't take this the wrong way, Chat, but I really need to go make my luggage and the work. I'm not mad at all, promise. xoxo_

She only read his reply a few hours later.

[14h01 Today]

Chat_Noir999: ღ

* * *

**_Review, purrritty please!_**


	8. Siren

**_Hi there! First things, first! I need to give a big thanks to my new beta reader: Elaine Afanador!_**

**_She is awesome! Thank you so much, Elaine._**

**_Second, thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews! You guys rock! _**

**_Last, but not least, here is the much-awaited chapter!_**

* * *

_**Siren**_

Adrien was preparing a snack when Lucie got home from her afternoon classes.

"Welcome home!" he said cheerfully and resumed making his ham and cheese sandwich, singing under his breath.

"Someone is in a good mood today!" she said, smiling and placing her computer bag on the ground near the umbrella bin. "Something happened?"

Adrien shrugged, but his grin widened. "Not really."

"Adrien…" she insisted, amused.

"I'm serious, Lucie! Nothing happened," he answered, chuckling. "I'm just happy," he added, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Okay!" Lucie replied, her face expression letting him know she wasn't convinced, but she wasn't going to pry further.

She was right, though. Something had happened.

Buggzhinette had told him yesterday that she wasn't going to wear his dress on the Hollywood Mulan's premiere after all. She'd apologized many, many times for it, claiming that the gala organizers had created a special themed dress for her and that since she was part of the entertainment, there was nothing she could do.

And for Adrien, that had been quite the relief. Of course, he wasn't happy to know she was still lying to him about her identity, but at least she wasn't Zhi Ruo. She kept claiming she was, but now it was obvious she wasn't. She had invented this excuse of being a part of the entertainment, before the movie started, because she wasn't who she claimed she was. He hadn't realized that some part of him was actually considering that she might be his ex until now.

Making _sure_ that she wasn't Zhi, tonight, would be a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

That was why he was so happy: he was pretty much positive that Zhi Ruo wasn't his Lady.

"By the way, Adrien, there's no need for you to keep searching my online boyfriend," said Lucie, taking off her shoes to make herself more comfortable.

"Really? Why?" he asked surprised and blushing slightly. He had completely neglected his job as a detective in this past month because of everything that had happened.

"Because we ended things. We both moved on," she answered with a shrug and a smile. "Online dating doesn't really work, does it!?" she added, looking sheepishly at him.

He snorted. "How would I know? I never dated online!" He couldn't help feeling relieved that she wasn't dating online anymore. And that she hadn't gotten hurt.

"Oh! You haven't, have you?" she chuckled, looking incredibly amused.

Adrien frowned confused, taking another bite of his sandwich. She was being ironic, but he couldn't quite figure out what about. "No… I haven't..?"

She giggled. "I'm hungry. Make me a sandwich, will you?" She asked as she picked up her shoes and computer bag to set them in her room.

He shrugged. "Coming right up!"

The matter was dropped, until later that night.

Mulan's premiere was going to be broadcasted live on E! TV and he wasn't going to miss it. What if Zhi appeared in the premiere with his dress? He had to make sure she didn't. Only then he could finally breathe.

The premiere started at six in the afternoon in LA. That meant that the broadcast in London would start at 2 AM. He had plenty of time to spare.

Adrien kept looking at his phone. All that lightness he'd felt that morning and early afternoon, by learning that she wasn't Zhi Ruo Léi, was gone. His Lady hadn't sent anything since she woke up and went off to work. He knew she probably couldn't check her phone, but it was tearing him up inside. He was so used to her presence by now, that he was having a hard time controlling himself not to send any more texts. More than ten texts unanswered would start to look like he had some kind of a mental problem.

He was nervous and a wreck.

And it was hard to hide it from Lucie. She'd become quite perceptive.

Now that his father had gone to bed, claiming that it was late and they should all go (it was around midnight, and they all worked/had classes tomorrow morning), Lucie decided to finally strike him with questions.

"Geez, Adrien, you don't look good… Why so nervous?" she asked with a teasing smile on her face, sitting beside him on the couch, as he zapped through the TV channels.

He didn't look at her, but his gaze flickered in the direction of his phone. "I'm not nervous, Lucie," he answered, pretending to be cool.

"Well, I really don't understand how you are such a good actor," giggled Lucie, shaking her head. He was obviously trying not to look upset and failing miserably.

He stopped zapping and looked at her, with an eyebrow raised. "Is that supposed to mean something?" he asked, looking annoyed.

Lucie laughed. "Someone is upset!" He sighed and turned his attention back to the TV, "Trouble in paradise?" she asked, trying not to sound amused, but she was. He didn't respond and she sighed. "Why don't you go to sleep, Adrien? Everything will look better in the morning, you'll see."

"I wanna watch something on TV." He blatantly replied.

"You can record it and watch it tomorrow…" offered Lucie.

He shook his head. "I want to see it live."

Lucie remained quiet for a minute. He wanted to watch the Mulan's premiere. He hadn't told anyone he was going to, but she had researched about it and knew it was happening today. Was he hoping to see 'his Lady' on TV? He'd mentioned that the girl worked on the movie industry, but he didn't even know what she looked like… Plus, Zhi Ruo would be the face of the event.

She exhaled, resigned.

Even though she thought her eight hours of sleep were very important… Adrien was more. And he shouldn't be alone for this.

"Can I watch it with you?" she asked with a shy smile on her lips.

"Sure," he gave her a dull shrug.

"I've heard this premiere was going to be great! I think it requires popcorn. Want some?" she asked happily, while she got off the couch and walked to the kitchen to make salty popcorn, since for some weird reason she didn't like them sweet.

Adrien's heart jumped on his chest, but he said nothing.

Of course, Lucie knew what he was waiting to watch… He shouldn't even be surprised. He wondered if he should tell her everything and ask for her advice. After all, she had figured him out even before he had. He had way more feelings than he should for this mystery girl. And now he felt like he was doomed. Right down the rabbit hole.

Telling Lucie that was like confirming it to the world and that would make it even more real. He didn't want that.

The closer the premiere became, the more nervous he felt.

On one side, he was terrified that Zhi Ruo Léi would appear with his gown on the red carpet. Even though LB had already told him that she wasn't going to use it, he couldn't help but wonder... What if...?

_I love you. _He heard on his head once again.

The world couldn't be so cruel, could it?

_I mean! What are the odds?_

On the other side, Buggzhinette had kept him talking to himself all day… He missed her, and that wasn't doing anything for his nerves. He knew it was silly, but somehow he hoped he would recognize her on TV if he saw her.

"Sure," he let out, looking at his phone again, as he heard the microwave working. The hours didn't seem to pass by. It was making him go crazy! He fell backwards on the couch and rubbed his hands on his face, letting out a frustrated groan.

Lucie came in the living room with a light chuckle. "I know they are not as good as Charlie's, but it's the best I can do!" she placed the bowl with popcorn on the coffee table and looked at him. He was still covering his face between his hands. "Considering how happy you looked this morning, something must have happened," she said placing a popcorn in her mouth, "Wanna talk about it?"

He did.

He wanted to talk about it.

But what would he even say?

_The girl I might be in love with is a liar that keeps posing as Zhi Ruo Léi? _

Better:_ I might be falling in love with Zhi Ruo Léi again because I didn't believe it was her when she told me and now I have no way to know but wait for someone other than Zhi to wear the dress I made in this Mulan's premiere? _

_Fuck my life. _

What would Lucie even say?

Anyway, he was glad she was with him. It was easier to face the past with a friend by his side.

Adrien let out a long breath and slowly shook his head. "No, Lucie. I really don't feel like talking right now…"

Lucie nodded and didn't push it further. "It's two hours before it starts, and you don't feel like talking... Let's see a movie!" she said, grabbing the remote and starting to look for movies on Netflix. "Uh! This one looks cool! What do you think?" she asked, looking at him.

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he said: "Looks good. Let's watch that one."

Lucie hit play and the movie started.

Adrien was having trouble paying attention to the movie, but he forced himself to watch it. The time would pass faster if he did.

In the middle of the movie, his phone buzzed, making him jump at it. Lucie laughed at his reaction, but he didn't care.

[01h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: _My god. I'm having lunch NOW! At 5 PM! That's how they treat me! I'm going to sing for them and THAT's how they treat me!_

He exhaled, relieved that she finally answered and grinned at the phone.

If she was going to sing, she was a performer... And that meant she wouldn't be working behind the cameras. He might actually see her tonight. He felt a wave of excitement run through his body. She had left a clue! How many people sing at a premiere!? In the Miraculous premiere only Laura Marano had sung, and that had only happened one time.

Lucie said nothing as she pretended to watch the movie, but kept peeking at his phone following the conversation.

[01h04 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm sorry if I woke you up! I'm just so pissed and was finally left alone, so the first thing I did was text you. My manager is so furious! I've never seen her like this. It would be fun to watch if I wasn't so hungry. _

[01h04 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And I'm sorry I didn't answer any of your texts until now, Kitten. I've had a really busy day._

By that point, neither he nor Lucie were watching the movie. He hadn't noticed it yet, of course. If he had, he'd have shooed her.

With his heart lighter, he typed on his phone with his grin slowly growing.

[01h06 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Don't you dare die of starvation, Bug. Eat up! _

[01h06 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Don't worry, you didn't wake me. I'm with Tikki watching a movie. We're waiting for the premiere to start on TV. Can't wait to see you! Tho, I really don't know what you look like. Give me another clue, purretty please?_

"You're with Tikki watching a movie?" Lucie let out, unable to control herself, she sounded very curious.

His head shot up to look at her. "Why are you reading my private messages?" he asked, his face looking absolutely shocked.

Lucie shrugged unashamed. "Why not?"

"Because… It's private?" he chuckled, not mad at all, but still a little surprised that she'd do that.

His phone buzzed again.

Lucie giggled. "You can see it as payback for reading _my_ private messages. Now, let me see what she answered."

She had a point. And there was no harm in letting her see them dance for a while. He turned his phone to their faces.

[01h08 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You're watching the premiere?_

He smiled. She was nervous too.

[01h09 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Of course! I wouldn't miss it! Lose the chance to catch a glimpse of you in worldwide television? Are you kidding, Princess?_

[01h10 Today]

Buggzhinette: _But isn't it starting at 2 AM there? You are aware that it will be at least 3 hours long, if not more, right?_

[01h10 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I really don't care about that. I don't mind losing my sleep for you, M'Lady. _

[01h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Where's my clue to find you, Boogaboo? I want to see you! Are you the only person singing tonight?_

Adrien was well aware of Lucie looking over his shoulder, as eager as he was to see what Buggzhinette would answer. And she sure was taking her time, this time.

He knew she didn't want him to find out who she was yet. Otherwise, she wouldn't have hidden her face with that Catphone of hers, or she would have found a way of wearing the gown he had made for her.

[01h15 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I won't be the only person on the stage singing. _

[01h15 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I have to go. Break time is over. I have less than an hour to get ready. Crap. _

[01h16 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Break a leg! :*_

He sighed, defeated. She clearly didn't want him to know who she was.

"Well, at least you know she'll sing…" Lucie said, rubbing his shoulder. He responded with a single nod.

_At least she had said something..._

"Why did you call me Tikki?" Lucie insisted, hoping that if she could change the subject slightly he'd forget that last part. The girl didn't sound happy with him trying to find out who she was.

"We have this _joke_ between us…" He started, a little endearing smile appeared on his lips, "I'm Chat Noir and she is Ladybug. We started naming our friends with Miraculous names. You are Tikki and Simon is Plagg, obviously."

Lucie giggled at this concept, "I guess you couldn't have found better names for us!" He nodded, as his grin grew wider, "What about her? Who's she friends with?"

"She only talks about one friend, her best friend, and she calls her Chloe Bourgeois, but from what she's mentioned about the girl, she doesn't sound like a Chloe Bourgeois to me. She is way too nice."

"Well, Simon is way nicer than Plagg…"

Adrien snorted and Lucie did the same, starting a burst of laughter between the two of them.

"Shhh" she said between giggles. "We're going to wake your father!"

They struggled to control their laughter.

You know when you can't make any exuberant noises and a silly thing or word makes you start laughing with your friend? After that, there's not much you can do. The more you try to hold it in, the harder it is to do it.

When the laughter finally softened, they were both struggling to stand.

"Ahh-" sighed Lucie, rubbing her eyes with the hands, to clear off the tears. She looked at the screen of the TV. The movie was probably ending, but they had missed most of it.

They stayed quiet for a couple of minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence and trying to recover from all that laughter…

Adrien broke the silence. "I think she is a bit lonely, you know?"

Lucie turned her head towards him and he did the same. They looked at each other and after a moment he sighed. "Chloe is the only friend she ever talks about," he paused to think and looked at his phone that was still in his hand. "Chloe lives here in London and Ladybug lives in Paris. She talks about her parents too, sometimes, but they don't live in Paris either. Other than that… There's no one else," Adrien looked back at Lucie. "She is a workaholic, and that isn't good for her social life either, I'm sure…" he chuckled and smiled fondly at his phone. "It must be lonely."

Lucie gently placed her hand on his forearm and he smiled at her. She gulped, worried. This boy was waaaaay over heels for this girl. It was painful to watch. He didn't seem to notice her distress, because he kept going.

"She doesn't talk much about it, but I know that she has been hurt," he smiled with regret as if it was his fault. "Whenever I try to figure her out, she pushes me away."

"Adrien," called Lucie, looking very serious. "It's not your fault she is lonely or that she has been hurt, so don't act like it is." He swallowed and she continued. "You like this girl and I understand that you want to help her, but you are not to blame if she doesn't accept your help. Are we clear?"

He smiled sheepishly and slowly nodded. "When did you become so wise?"

"I'm a timeless god, remember?" she squealed as if she was playing the actual character and giggling afterwards.

"Oh right! How could I forget!?" he chuckled lightly and she kept giggling.

"Now, let's turn on E! TV, it's almost time!" Lucie said happily, controlling the television with the remote, and turning to E! TV. Feeling Adrien's discomfort, she asked: "Are you nervous because you might see that online Lady of yours"- she pointed his phone with her chin- "or the actual Ladybug actress?"

Adrien gaped at her, astonished. He _had_ to stop underestimating her perception of things.

"Both?" he said with a bashful smile.

Lucie giggled and nodded, happy that he had answered truthfully. Adrien felt a tiny bit guilty. He really was nervous about that, but what was driving him crazy was not knowing if 'both' meant they were the same person.

Time to find out, because the broadcast was about to start.

There was a moving logotype they used for premieres filling the screen. When the logo disappeared with a small animation, there were several helicopter footages showing the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the local where the premiere was to happen. The imposing building stood beautiful and filled with posters from the movie. Zhi Ruo Léi's face staring fiercely in several billboards, in scale a hundred times bigger than her actual face. Adrien gulped, silently, his insides feeling like they were fighting each other. She was stunning. Even with her face covered with fake blood and dirt, that girl was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

There was a tiny crowd on the red carpet, entering the theatre and a huge crowd surrounding the fences, eager to get a glimpse of the cast or any other famous actors that were invited to attend the premiere. Inside the perimeter, but still outside the theatre, there was still a fence, where a crowd of journalists and photographers stood.

The shot changed and a journalist with brown hair and red framed glasses appeared facing the camera holding on to a mic with E!'s logotype. She stood still until someone Adrien couldn't see gave her the thumbs up. She was on air. She smiled and started narrating with her reporter's intonation, "Hello everyone, this is E! TV. I'm Samantha Marks and I'm here on Hollywood Boulevard, in front of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, to guide you through the Disney's Mulan premiere that is about to start!" Behind her was a giant picture of Zhi Ruo Léi falling in Ki Hong Lee's — the actor who played General Chang — arms. Adrien felt a lump in his throat. Lucie held his hand and smiled encouragingly. "Mulan has been one of the most awaited movies from Disney's studio ever since Zhi Ruo Léi was announced as the actress to portrait our beloved main character: Mulan. As you could see from the helicopter footage in the beginning of this broadcast, the streets surrounding the Grauman's Chinese Theatre are full of fans, people who arrived here hours ago just to find a good spot and catch a glimpse of the cast!" The crowd outside started to scream and roar, and the reporter looked at the camera with a mix of surprise and excitement, that for someone like Lucie and Adrien was an obvious fake and planned reaction. She turned around to the theatre's doors and looked back at the camera. "It's starting!" she said, and that time, the excitement was real. The camera turned to record the entrance, as the members of the cast started to arrive. First entered the secondary characters of the movie, whose name appeared on the red info stripe that was suddenly on the screen. The camera changed to the outside helicopter view again, and they could see that the cast had arrived all at the same time, but some had managed to pass without too much reaction from the public outside. "As you can see, the cast has arrived, and the fans are bursting with excitement." The reporter's voice could be heard along with the footage of the outside of the theatre.

Slowly the actors started to come inside, and, soon, there were only four people still signing out autographs outside. Two men and two women, judging by the outfits.

The next half hour was spent like that, with the camera switching from the reporter interviewing secondary actors that passed by her, to the people signing out autographs outside.

"This is boring," Lucie said; her head was pending on her arm and she was obviously struggling not to fall asleep. Adrien understood her point of view, but for him… it wasn't boring. It was painful. Torture like. He could never sleep feeling like this.

After a while, the camera filmed the reporter and the entrance of the theatre again, and the remaining members of the cast started to enter with the director.

Camera flashes started to shoot as Niki Caro, the director of the movie, walked through the doors. She waved politely and started to answer some questions to the first reporter that engaged contact with her.

Eddie Murphy, that once again was casted as Mushu, entered together with Ki Hong Lee, and the cameras were going crazy once again.

"That guy is a piece of cake," mumbled Lucie, unfiltered, struggling not to fall asleep.

Ki Hong Lee waved at the cameras. Adrien knew Lucie was right, the man was very good looking, but he couldn't find it in him to say it out loud. Adrien didn't know him, but from the moment the cameras started to follow Ki Hong Lee, he knew he didn't like the guy. He had no reason, whatsoever… He just didn't like him.

Adrien remembered how exhausting, yet rewarding, was to attend the premiere of a movie he starred. He remembered with a shiver the last premiere he had attended. It had been a nightmare. Right after Zhi and him broke up. Right after Zhi's name almost being dragged to the mud. His hands formed fists and he firmly shut his eyes.

"Eddie Murphy!" called the reporter. Adrien opened his eyes in time to see Eddie Murphy come closer to the reporter. "How are you doing tonight?" she politely asked.

He smiled. "Very good, thank you very much! This is all very exciting!"

"Indeed! Tell us, Eddie, it's your second time playing Mushu! How do you feel about that?"

"I feel amazing, obviously! Mushu was one of my favourite characters to voice act, back in the day, and to get to do that again… I was very happy when Niki Caro called me!"

There was a wave of continuous camera flashes and E!'s camera turned to film Zhi Ruo entering the theatre.

To Adrien's great relief, Zhi was wearing a dazzling traditional Chinese hanfu, with a long red skirt full of golden details and a soft pink top. It looked beautiful on her, but it wasn't his design. Her hair was tied in a ballerina hair-do and frosted with golden hairpins. She smiled gently and waved at the cameras.

E!'s camera turned back to Eddie Murphy and the reporter asked a last question, in an attempt no to be rude with the arrival of Zhi Ruo. "Eddie, one last question: without giving anything away, what's your favorite line of dialogue?"

The actor chuckled a little and said, "This line wasn't a part of this movie's script, but instead of the line I was supposed to say I went like 'My little baby, off to destroy people!' and there was this explosion of laughter on the studio. Niki Caro asked me to do it again, and now it's in the movie. This new Mushu has a quote from the original Mushu and it made me love the movie even more."

"Thank you so much, Eddie!" she said to her mic.

"Thank you!" he said, and then he walked away to be interviewed by another reporter.

E!'s camera pointed at Zhi Ruo, that was being bombarded with questions from different reporters, when Niki Caro passed in front of it. E!'s TV reporter didn't miss her chance, "Niki Caro!" she called and the director turned to her. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm great, thank you!" she answered, grinning widely at the camera.

"What a beautiful dress!" the reporter pointed out.

Niki looked down as if she was surprised, and then she looked back up. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a masterpiece," commented Adrien, shrugging. It wasn't. She was the damn director. She should be shining at least as much as Zhi was.

Lucie, who'd fallen asleep, woke up and quietly asked: "Did I miss something?"

"Not much, no." He answered while the reporter from E!'s TV kept going: "Niki, what sort of person is going to love this movie?"

"Everyone, hopefully!" Niki laughed. "This is a movie for families, for boys, for girls, for everyone around the world really. And even more with the performance of our beautiful Zhi Léi!" she pointed at the girl and the camera followed. Zhi was now posing with Ki Hong Lee and Eddie Murphy for the cameras besides them. "And our amazing Eddie Murphy and Ki Hong Lee of course!" she added.

Adrien let out a defeated sigh: _Zhi Ruo Léi. Always the favorite. Always the person that everyone loved. _He thought bitterly.

"Wow," said Lucie, suddenly awake. "Zhi looks stunning!"

Adrien said nothing and Lucie bit her lip feeling guilty for not being able to control her big mouth.

"How is this production bringing something new to the story?" asked the reporter, and the camera turned to see Niki's answer.

"Well, we all wanted to stay true to the original. Because it's a classic, you know? You don't want to ruin that… But you also want to give people something different. I can't say much at this point, because it will spoil the movie for everyone. But in the end, it's Mulan," she said shrugging.

"Thank you so much, Niki! We are hanging on the edge of our seats for this movie!"

"Thank you." Niki Caro walked away to be interviewed by another person.

"And here comes our star!" The reporter squealed to the camera, sounding more excited than ever.

Adrien rolled his eyes, trying his best to look and feel indifferent.

"Zhi Ruo Léi!" called the reporter, when Zhi stopped talking to another reporter. The girl looked at her and then at the camera and smiled lovingly. That felt like a punch in Adrien's gut.

"Hi!" Zhi greeted, with a kind smile on her face.

"You look _so_ beautiful!" the reporter said impressed. "That dress is just gorgeous!"

"Yeah... It is." Zhi answered, and Adrien immediately could tell she didn't really like it.

So could the reporter, "You don't sound very convincing…" the reporter chuckled.

Zhi bit her bottom lip, having the decency of blushing. "Well…" she looked both ways and then came closer to the camera and pretended to whisper. "You can't tell anyone, but they _made_ me wear this dress! Like they made Eddie and Ki wear those outfits too," she pointed at them between giggles. "Everyone's outfits have been censored!" The camera quickly refocused on her when the reporter asked, clearly surprised:

"You don't like it?"

"No! Yes, I like it!" she quickly said, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's not that!" Zhi paused with a bashful smile. "I mean, I understand why I have to wear it… It totally matches the theme and it's soooo damn breathtaking!" Another pause. "But…"

"But?"

Zhi sighed, still wearing her shy smile, "First of all… It's pink." She giggled and Adrien unconsciously smiled. Zhi Ruo used to say she loved pink until she had to wear it on a daily basis for four years while playing Marinette Dupain-Cheng. "And I can't tell you why right now, but I'm gonna be wearing a lot of pink for the next months," she chuckled and Adrien's grin became wider with an evil plan slowly forming in his head. "Second, I had this beautiful,_ beautiful_ gown at home, that I bought for this event and I was really looking forward to wearing it." Adrien's smile dropped. She sighed looking wishful. She looked at the camera, as if she had forgotten it was there, smiled warmly, and struggled. "I really wanted to wear it, that's all!" she repeated with another shy giggle.

He tried to ease himself.

_So what? She bought a dress for this premiere and didn't get to wear it! So did many, many people, she said it herself! My Lady included._

"It makes sense! Maybe on the next premiere you attend you can wear it?" the reporter asked and Zhi nodded and shrugged. "Tell us, Zhi Ruo, what was the biggest challenge about taking on this role?"

"I'm gonna get some water," Adrien said, still wondering about his evil master plan in his head.

Lucie nodded, not taking her eyes of the TV.

Zhi smiled. "Everything was challenging… and also very rewarding and fun to take part in. But if I have to choose a moment where I struggled, and most of the people of the cast will tell you the same for sure, it would be without a doubt the avalanche scene. It was so cold, everyone was freezing, and snow was falling everywhere… It was crazy," Zhi frowned as if she was imagining it.

"One more question!" asked the reporter.

"Sure!"

"You've seen the movie, right?" asked the reporter.

"Yeah, a few days ago, yes. We all did," answered Zhi Ruo with an excited smile.

"Your fans in Europe want to know: what did you think about it?"

Zhi's smile fell and she glimpsed at the camera, visibly swallowing.

Lucie narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, extremely interested in that unusual reaction.

"Ah-..." Zhi smiled, obviously trying to recompose herself from whatever it was that had caught her off guard. "I thought it was amazing." Adrien sat back on the couch, placing his glass of water on the table. Zhi seemed to forget her own discomfort and started answering with excitement. "I loved every bit of it! It's funny, it's romantic, it's full of adventure… But most of all, it's about the journey of a young woman to find herself! Mulan is beautiful, strong, brave…" Her voice flickered when she said 'brave', but she cleared her throat and continued "She's the hero of her own story! And girls all over the world will want to be like her. I want to be like her!"

"Thank you so much, Zhi Ruo," the reporter politely concluded.

"Thank you!" she said, waving and smiling at the camera.

Zhi went away, and the camera focused on the reporter. "We are very sorry we couldn't talk to the handsome Ki Hong Lee today, but in about fifteen minutes the show is going to start, so I have to head inside." She pointed at the building beside her. "And while I find my seat, we're going on a short break."

The E! publicity logo appeared and the commercial break started.

"Well, if I knew there would be a break, I would have waited one more minute to go fetch some water," complained Adrien.

Lucie nodded, grabbing her own phone to check the time. "Damn, your friend was right… It's three thirty! This is definitely not ending at five."

"I just want to watch the performances before the movie starts and then we can head to bed," he said, checking his phone for incoming texts. There were none. He was not surprised, but couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"I think I'll get more popcorn. I need sugar if I want to stay awake," explained Lucie getting up and walking to the kitchen.

"Okay," said Adrien, but realizing what Lucie had just said he leaned on the back of the couch and said: "Wait a minute; you don't like popcorn with sugar! You will make salty ones!"

Lucie giggled and nodded unashamed. Once she was back by his side of the couch, with a popcorn refill and a blanket covering both of their legs, the broadcast finally resumed.

There was no reporter talking to the camera right now, only the footage of the stage and a giant screen that showed Zhi Ruo Léi as Mulan, in a dark red background with some pink flowers floating around her. Her face looked fierce and her blue eyes pierced the screen with breathtaking strength.

Niki Caro stepped on the stage with a mic in her hand and the audience clapped politely.

"Hello everyone! Aw! Look at that!" she said pointing to the official image of Mulan at the giant screen. "It gives me chills!" she turned to the audience. "Are you excited?" They cheered. "Yes!? You should be! Welcome to this premiere of Disney's Mulan!" The crowd cheered again, and she chuckled with excitement. "I'm Niki Caro, and I had the tremendous pleasure of directing this film! We started creating this movie in mid-2016 and finished giving it the final touches a couple of weeks ago. Now, I must tell you, I'm so, so proud of what we managed to accomplish here. And I owe it all to the team that made this possible:" She started to enumerate names, and the audience cheered, another name… more cheering. She kept going through the names and explaining what they had done for the movie for almost ten minutes.

Adrien turned to Lucie to roll his eyes and express his boredom but she'd fell asleep again. So, he sighed and turned on a game on his phone.

Once every name had been called and referred to, Niki said: "Now, before we start the film, we have a little surprise for you." The soundtrack of Mulan started being played, and a giant Chinese Dragon appeared on the stage. The crowd cheered with excitement and Niki got to the side of the stage to let the dragon dance. Soon it was joined by several dancers that were dressed as Chinese warriors.

The dance was dramatic and thrilling, captivating the audience in the right way. Lucie woke up when the dance was almost over and watched it closely, trying not to succumb to sleep again. The crowd was going wild.

For the ending, the dragon disappeared, revealing five beautiful ladies, dressed with blue and pink hanfus and all with a hairdo similar to Zhi's but without the hairpins. The stage fog filled the platform and warriors walked away from the stage as the music slowed down until it came to a stop. The lights dropped, and five single spotlights appeared above the hanfu dressed girls.

The audience eventually became silent, eager to see what the ladies were going to do.

Adrien leaned forward. One of them could be _her_. They all had dark hair and none of them had his dress on… Why had he thought he would recognise her anyway? He didn't have a _clue_ if she was one of them. His romantic heart had deceived him again. He couldn't recognize her if he had never seen her before! Not even having strong feelings for her.

When there was no noise whatsoever, the five girls breathed in at the same time and started to sing. There was no instrumental, only the voices, creating a beautiful song, full of harmonies and soft vibratos. It was breathtaking because they were singing together as one. There were no words, no vocalist… nothing to distract you from the _music_. Somewhere along the way, the instrumental was softly added, amplifying the delicate and fragile song onto a powerful one.

Somehow, to the sound of that song, he couldn't find it in him to feel sad, or frustrated. He was filled with warmth as they sang their way into his heart. He desperately tried to memorize all of their faces, but soon they disappeared. The five spotlights converged into one above Zhi Ruo's head, making the chorus girls vanish, but still heard. He felt a tiny bit of resentment that soon evaporated too, leaving him with longing. For his Princess that had just vanished from the screen, and for the girl he thought he had known.

He swallowed dry, feeling his arms and back filled with goosebumps.

And then, when he thought that nothing they'd do could make the music sound better... She started to sing.

He felt his chin drop, as the camera filmed her serene face. The song wasn't new to him, because he'd seen Mulan more times than he could count when he was a kid, but everything about the arrangements, the instrumental, the background voices… Her voice. Everything sounded completely different now. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard.

He knew Zhi had a good singing voice. They used to joke around about it when they got together for karaoke sessions, but he didn't remember her voice being like _that_. She sounded like a siren or a mermaid, chanting for the sailors that dared to cross her dangerous waters. Her voice rose with love and suddenly he felt as if she was singing… to him.

When the song ended, there was a split second where no one dared to breathe, still trying to wake up from the enchantment Zhi Ruo had just put them all in, that was then followed by a roar of applause. Zhi smiled affectionately at the audience, her eyes flickered at the camera, while she quickly rubbed the back of her hand on her face, clearing the dropping tears away. That was when he noticed, he'd been crying too.

* * *

**_So, now you know! Buggzhinette didn't wear the dress to the premiere... And I honestly think that Adrien fell in love yet again with Zhi Ruo Léi. Muahahah! _**

**_Tell me your thoughts! Did you like the chapter? Is it TERRIBLE? Amazingly good? XD just let me know, _purr_etty _purr_ease!_**

**_Love you all! Thanks for reading! xoxo_**


	9. Surprises and Setbacks

_**Surprises and Setbacks**_

* * *

"I know you already got praised enough by my family, but you did so beautifully, Z! You sang like an angel," sighed Alice as she finished straightening out her hair. "My dad and I even teared up a bit!" she chuckled. "And you have like a million views on YouTube already. People will expect you to become a singer now," she joked, giggling when Zhi frowned.

"Thank you, but I'm not becoming a singer," she warned, not managing to conceal her smile.

Zhi had arrived the day before and had stayed over at Alice's house. Alice's mum's operation had gone well, and they'd spent all day in the hospital with Alice's family. It was exhausting but very rewarding since it meant that Alice was finally able to breathe freely.

_The worst had passed._ Doctor's words.

They had spent today's morning in the hospital too, but after lunchtime, Alice's mother had told them to go have fun outside and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, giving them time to hang out just the two of them. Sunny days were a rare thing in London. Alice had felt reluctant to leave her mother's sight, but at her mother's insistence, she'd finally agreed. They had walked to Alice's home and started getting ready for the movie gala. Had they left the hospital when they were supposed to, they wouldn't have had time to get into disguise and go to the movies.

Alice's house was a straight-three-floor house, like so many in London, and had a beautiful skylight on the top floor.

Zhi and Alice were in the en-suite bathroom putting the final touches on their hair and makeup.

"I know you're not becoming a singer," Alice snorted, looking at Zhi's face reflected in the mirror. "I'm just saying that you totally could."

Zhi shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea how it went so well… I was so nervous, my hands shook visibly. I don't remember ever feeling like that," she confessed to Alice's astonishment. They hadn't properly talked about it yet.

"You were? You definitely didn't look like it."

"I was," Zhi sighed. "Chat had just told me that he was watching the premiere and I had told him that I was going to sing…" Alice's eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect O. "Then I gave that stupid interview to E! TV before realizing I was talking to Europe… Meaning: To him, possibly…" she shook her head, worried. "I frankly have no idea how he didn't put two and two together. I'm so glad I didn't sing alone…"

Zhi had been afraid of talking to him again when the premiere was over. She wondered if, even without the dress, he'd figured her out, but to her relief he hadn't. At least, if he had, he hadn't said anything about it.

Alice nodded. "My dad and I watched you through E! TV too, but maybe he watched it on another TV channel?" she gave a small shrug at Zhi's uncertain look. "I did think you were revealing a bit much, talking about that dress and all…" she said pointing at the branded X gown Zhi was wearing right now. Zhi looked down and hugged herself, feeling the soft fabric against her skin. Alice subtly changed the subject. "Are you sure it isn't too weird to go to the movies dressed like this?" Alice spread her arms, checking herself in the mirror, second guessing their choice of outfits. She was wearing a long sleeveless dark green dress.

"It would be weird if we were attending the movies on a normal day, but this is a 'gala' event that this shopping mall organized," replied Zhi while making air quotes as she said 'gala', glad that they could talk about something else.

Zhi Ruo got the same feeling she had when she had first put on that dress. She didn't want to take it off. It was so soft, so beautiful and it looked so good on her… She loved it.

"Yes, but it's still a mall and we are wearing very fancy dresses," persisted Alice putting the final touch of mascara on her lashes. "I know you've seen this movie like two times already, but people might recognize us right away and I really want to see it without too many distractions."

"Don't worry. I've searched online. They have been doing this event for five years now and the people that win the tickets always dress up. It's in the event rules. Plus, if we look very, very trendy, people will be looking at the outfit, instead of looking at _us_," countered Zhi Ruo as she took a step back to examine her makeup and nodded approvingly. It looked good.

"How did you win the tickets?" inquired Alice, also finishing her makeup.

"It was a campaign the mall was doing. Spend above £50 in any store at the mall and get 2 free tickets to the movie gala." Zhi started looking through her bag that was resting on the toilet seat, and took out a little black box. "This year the movie they chose is Mulan, so I bought myself this beautiful necklace!" she said opening the box and showing off her newest acquisition. It was white gold, with a beautiful red gemstone streaked with beautiful white rays. It had cost way more than £50, but it was worth it. It was the perfect match for her dress.

"All so you can show off your new dress," pointed out Alice with a grin spreading all over her face.

Zhi looked at her unimpressed. "Nooooo…" she took the necklace from the box and placed it around her neck. "All because I thought it was a bargain to buy something I like and get free tickets to watch Mulan with my best friend!"

"Yeah, right," Alice replied dryly.

Zhi shrugged while looking at herself in the mirror, and had to refrain from taking a picture of her and send it to Chat. She looked perfect and it was partly his doing… so she wanted to share it with him, but it wasn't worth it to let him know the truth just yet. The premiere had been way more stressful than it should have been just because she knew he was watching. She didn't need that kind of drama right now. She had one more day in town with Alice before going to Ireland to start filming.

"You know I'm right…" said Alice with a beaming smile on her lips. "The dress is gorgeous, but you love it even more because _he_ made it. You feel great in it and want everyone to see it!" Alice giggled at Zhi's sudden red face.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter!" said Zhi Ruo quickly, trying to recompose herself. "We're ready! Let's go?"

"Isn't it a bit early?" asked Alice, while Zhi followed her to her room. "The movie only starts at 9."

"We have to be there by 8:30 at least. There's no seating arrangement and you don't want to get there and find out all of the best seats are taken, right?"

"Hum… You're right. Let's get going then," Alice started putting on her stilettos.

They wore sunglasses, even though it was getting darker, and two big hats that went very well with both of her dresses. They were a bit too big and too much, but covered their faces and made people pretend not to look at them, which also did the trick. People looked, but they looked at the hats and the exuberance of the outfits rather than their faces.

Soon, they were outside walking towards the mall that was surprisingly close: thirty minutes walking. It was an adventure, considering they were both wearing needle high heels, but the alternative was unthinkable. A thirty-minute walk in London at that time of the day was equivalent to one hour and a half by car due to traffic. Besides, they were used to walking in high heels.

"I'm so excited we're doing this!" squealed Alice, barely containing her enthusiasm. "It's like old times! And really soon we will be working together again and going to the cinema again and surprising fans!" Zhi laughed softly when Alice squealed again. "I love Miraculous fans! The love they give us… It's so good! Makes me stronger!"

Zhi swallowed dry. _Chat is a Miraculous fan. But he hates me._

Alice kept going. "Don't they make you feel like–?" Alice stopped walking, noticing the sudden shadows on her friend's eyes.

"Yes. They are great, Al," Zhi acknowledged, forcing a smile onto her face, which did not fool Alice at all.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Nothing, it's fine," Zhi sighed, resuming walking.

"It's not fine, Z. You were happy, having fun and suddenly you're not anymore," insisted Alice, holding Zhi's hand to make her stop walking and look at her. "Was it something I said?"

"No, sweetie," Zhi said with her smiled painted with regret. "I'm sorry for worrying you. You said nothing wrong."

"Then, what's the matter?" Alice asked suspiciously. "It has something to do with your alley cat, hasn't it?"

Zhi chuckled lightly and started walking, pulling Alice with her. "He is a fan too," she explained. "He wouldn't have given himself a Miraculous username on the Red Thread, he wouldn't have named his friends after Plagg and Tikki and he wouldn't have called me M'lady if he wasn't." Alice nodded in agreement, understanding Zhi's angst. "But he hates me"–Zhi's shoulders were visibly down– "and I have no idea why…"

"That's a bit inconsistent of him if you ask me," Alice started. "What Miraculous fan has the guts to call himself a Miraculous fan if he hates _Zhi Ruo Léi_?"

Zhi chuckled and smiled gratefully to Alice. "I guess I'm inconsistent too." Alice raised her eyebrows, not following. "I consider myself a Miraculous fan, but don't like Eloise or Adrien…" she confessed.

Alice chuckled. "Fair enough."

They walked for about a hundred meters before Alice spoke again. "He has been very quiet this afternoon, hasn't he?"

"He has," Zhi smiled. "He has been working a lot, but he always finds time to chat with me. I told him I was with Chloe Bourgeois and he said that he would leave me alone for the time being. He told me to enjoy my time with you." Alice smiled at this. "That friends are important."

"He sounds like a nice guy," remarked Alice, finally seeing the mall as they rounded a corner.

"He really is."

_Which makes me wonder even more about why he hates me so much?_

They entered the mall. If people had been looking at them discreetly before then, now they weren't even trying to conceal it. Alice looked around and saw more people dressed like them, so she visibly relaxed, making Zhi giggle.

They walked to the cinema.

"So, why don't you just ask him?" Alice proposed.

"Ask him what?"

"Why does he hate you? You have nothing to lose really. He'll eventually figure out who you are… So, when it happens, at least you'll know the reason. Maybe you can even do something about it," suggested Alice carefully.

Zhi contained a shiver. Alice was right… She should ask him.

"I might do that"– Zhi said taking the phone out of her purse and checking it for new messages. There were none. Chat would not talk to her unless she talked to him first. He didn't want to interrupt whatever she and her friend were doing. She shook her head and put the Catphone back inside her purse –"but not tonight." Alice threw her an unconvinced look. "At least not now. I can ask him when we get home. That way you can help?"

"I think it's a good idea," Alice smiled. She didn't want her friend bothered by the answer the guy would give her before they were in a quiet and safe place.

Once they got to the ticket line, there were a bunch of people dressed in gowns and tuxedos, so they stood behind the line waiting for their turn. Once they got to the front, Zhi took the tickets out of her purse and gave them to the ticket lady. After that, they bought a bag of popcorn and some sodas and walked inside the auditorium. It wasn't crowded yet, so it was quiet. They sat in the middle of the theatre, in the seats near the corridor, and their feet screamed with relief. They felt a bit silly with the hats on, but people kept passing by pretending not to see them because it was part of their outfits.

The Miraculous Ladybug ringtone started ringing, startling them. Zhi giggled, unable to believe that she forgot to put her Catphone on silent mode and wondering who the hell was calling her old cell number. She made a motion to take it out of her purse while Alice smothered her laughter with her hands covering her mouth.

"I can't believe you have that ringtone," she murmured giggling.

She wasn't expecting that phone to ever ring again. Maybe she'd forgotten to give someone her new phone number?

Zhi was about to answer in a carefree way, when her smile dropped and her heart almost fled from her chest.

_**Chat_Noir999**_

_**Calling**_

"What the–" Zhi breathed.

Alice's eyebrows rose when she saw who was calling. After a couple of seconds, she commanded: "Answer!"

"But–! I've never talked to him on the phone!" Zhi said panicking.

"Answer! What if it's important?" Alice promptly pressed the green button and gently pushed the phone to Zhi's ear, followed by her own head, pressed against the phone so she could hear the conversation.

Zhi gaped with her eyes very open and her hands madly shaking.

"_Hello?_" she heard him say, making her heart bump into her ribs and her breathing unstable. When she didn't answer he repeated: "_Hello? M'lady?_"

Alice motioned like a crazy person, trying to get her say something. Zhi gulped and cleared her throat. "Arn– hum… Hi?" she screeched.

"_M'lady!_" he awkwardly cheered. "_Hi!_"

"Hi!" she repeated, feeling stupid right away. "I mean, hum– Hi! How are you?"

He laughed lightly and she felt her heart melt a little. It was quite a strange feeling since she felt so nauseated with anxiety that she might throw up.

"_I'm good!_" he answered, trying to sound casual. "_You?_"

"I'm good– Great!" she screeched again. "I'm, I'm pretty great." _Oh my god, what is WRONG with me?_

Alice struggled to contain her soft laugh. Zhi didn't even find in her the strength to censure Alice with her eyes.

He laughed nervously. She felt a bit better, knowing she wasn't the only one feeling so tense. He cleared his throat. "_So... why did you call me?_" he asked in an apprehensive and worried tone.

"Wha–?" Zhi gaped. She'd remember if she'd call him, right?

"_Are you in trouble, Princess? Need me to cataclysm someone?_" he asked with a very good impression of Chat-Noir-Like-Voice.

"I didn't call you..." she quickly said.

"_Yes... you did,_" he answered confused.

She tried to check her phone, but Alice had glued her ear to it trying to listen to the conversation, and Zhi almost punched her in the face. They both let out loud snorts and earned some offended looks from the people that were already in the theatre, even though the movie hadn't started yet.

"_What happened?_" he asked with a tone of curiosity and amusement. "_Why are you laughing?_"

Zhi giggled with Alice in silence for a few seconds before recovering her voice. "I'm sorry Chat!" she said, barely restraining her laughter. "I almost accidentally punched Chloe. That's what happened."

He chuckled. "_You butt dialled me, then you almost punched your friend… You're definitely my Princess. Beautiful and strong, but clumsy. As Chat Noir's Princess should be._"

Zhi's laughter stopped abruptly and her smile faded a little. She felt her face burn when the tension came back. She breathed deeply.

"Chat, I got to go. I'm in the movie theatre and the movie is about to start. I'm sorry I butt dialled you." She said with her voice coming out colder than she'd meant.

"_Oh, okay! Have fun_," he said, sounding a bit disappointed. "_Say hi to Chloe for me_."

"I will," she replied, swallowing. "Bye, Chat."

"_Bye, Princess_"

With her heart in her throat, she turned off the call.

That was an experience she never wanted to repeat._ Ever again. _

She had wondered what it would be like to talk to him on the phone… To hear his voice… But today, after the almost reveal of the premiere, she had been completely unprepared! And he'd tried to flirt with her! He hated her and was dumb enough not to listen to her when she told him she was the girl he hated! Why hadn't he believed she was Zhi when she first told him? Why didn't she prove it to him back then?

The frustrating part was that this was partially her fault! She couldn't just pin it on him.

_You're definitely my Princess. _

Hearing him say that out loud… Old wounds cracked inside her, reminding Zhi what it would be like if they were to break again.

She was _not_ his Princess. He wouldn't want her to be as soon as he found out who she really was. That was tearing her apart. She needed to draw some boundaries and to distance herself from him.

Zhi held herself, feeling the soft fabric of his beautiful dress in her hands. He had made that dress for her… He had touched the fabric with his hands. He had meticulously traced every stitch and every line. Zhi felt her eyes itching. He had put his heart into making that dress for Buggzhinette, not her.

"Z?" Alice called in a whisper, carefully holding her friend's hand. "What did he say?"

Zhi swallowed and shrugged. "Stuff he shouldn't have." Alice looked worried at her and she sighed. "He called me his Princess. He said I'm beautiful, strong and clumsy."

For any other girl calling her 'clumsy' would have been the trigger to her reaction, the reason she was suddenly so cold and looking somewhat insulted, but Alice knew better. Zhi was closing herself in her protective shell. She didn't want to face the fact that Chat might leave the moment he realized who Zhi was, so she preferred to run away.

"I think you should tell him who you are as soon as possible. He sounds like he has feelings for you too Z," advised Alice.

Zhi shook her head. "I'm not gonna. I need some space. I think I'll tell him that."

"I think you're making a mistake," warned Alice.

Zhi shrugged and filled her mouth with popcorn.

They remained silent until the movie started, Zhi's stress eating her up and Alice wondering how she could put some sense into her friend's mind. Once the movie started, Alice marvelled at the classic story of Mulan, but Zhi didn't pay much attention to it. Chat had sent a text apologizing and she was fighting the urge to answer and to appease his worries. She didn't want him to hurt, not because of her or anyone else. She genuinely cared for him, but she cared way more than she should. It was consuming her inside. She decided not to answer, and to tell him later that she needed space. That she didn't want to get hurt, and that she didn't want him to know who she was.

The break came and the lights of the room were turned on.

Zhi had felt the Catphone vibrate in her purse, and she knew that he had texted her again, but she ignored it.

"Oh my god!" said Alice, holding Zhi's arm. "It's sooo good! I'm loving it! It's almost better than the original!" A couple of teenage girls were passing by their seats and one of them nodded with an enthusiastic smile looking at Alice, agreeing with what she had said. Alice traded glances with the girl and suddenly the girl recognized her. The girl's eyes widened at the same time as Alice's. This wasn't supposed to happen before the movie was over. The girl looked at Zhi and her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head at any moment. Zhi held in a snort while Alice grabbed the girl's wrist and gently pulled her down to talk to her. The girl had let out a weak little scream but shut up as soon as Alice pulled her down.

"Hi!" Alice said whispering, glad that the people sitting next to them had left during the break. "Please don't give us away… It's the first time I'm seeing this movie and I'm really loving it," she begged. The girl kept glancing at Zhi and then Alice, barely breathing.

"I–I–… You–" the girl tried to say.

Zhi leaned forward and gently touched the girl's arm. "What's your name?"

"I– Olivia," she answered, staring at Zhi with amazement.

"Olivia," said Zhi, and both she and Alice smiled. Olivia nodded. "Olivia, my best friend was dying to see this movie with me, so I brought her here. If you unmask us now, no one in this room will be able to watch the rest of the movie." Olivia gulped and nodded very seriously. "Will you please keep our secret? We can give you autographed posters and take as many pictures with you as you like..." Olivia's eyes popped up again and she eagerly nodded making Zhi and Alice giggle softly.

"My– My friend..." Olivia looked around, finally noticing that her friend wasn't there. She looked a bit panicked.

It was Alice's turn to gently squeeze Olivia's arm. "We'll give her posters and take pictures with her too, but don't tell her we are here until the movie is over, please." Then, with her best drama queen gaze, she added: "We trust you."

The girl looked at Alice and then Zhi, and nodded again. "I promise."

Zhi smiled, slightly relieved. "Thank you. Meet us there when the movie ends?" she pointed at the left-hand exit of the auditorium.

"Yes!" she let out a squeal, making Alice and Zhi giggle. Olivia blushed. "I'm sorry… I'm just so surprised you're here– It's… unreal. And that you are so nice in real life," she murmured, making the girls giggle again.

Alice beamed at Olivia and said: "It's okay–"

"There you are!" They heard a girl's voice approaching. Zhi and Alice quickly covered their faces with the hats, not before giving a warning look to Olivia who responded with a reassuring smile. "You were right behind me and then you vanished!"

Olivia stood up and did her best to ignore her idols. "Sorry, my shoes were untied," she shrugged and followed her friend back to their seats, in the same row as Zhi and Alice.

The auditorium darkened and they only managed to trade an amused look before the movie resumed. They knew there was a very high probability that Olivia was telling what had happened to her friend right now, but they couldn't blame her. They'd trust her to warn her friend not to say anything before the movie was over, but now that someone in the theatre had recognized them, the odds that Alice would be able to watch the movie until its end had been cut short.

Surprisingly, it only happened when the movie was a few minutes from ending. Olivia must have started filling in her friend, because suddenly, people at their row of seats were trying to not so discreetly get a glimpse of them. Noticing the disturbing rumble and the pointed fingers in their direction, Zhi sighed and whispered to Alice: "Next, I'm gonna be idolized as a warrior of China and everyone will bow to me, including the Emperor. Followed by General Chang and me kissing. The end."

"Hey!" protested Alice, a bit louder than she should have, looking at Zhi frowning. "Why are you spoiling a super predictable but perfectly good ending?" Up until then she hadn't noticed the murmurs in the audience.

Zhi smiled and glanced around meaningfully. "It's happening," Zhi explained and Alice exhaled with exasperation, but she still focused her attention on the movie screen, trying to watch as much of it as she could. "Any time now," Zhi whispered with a smile in her voice.

* * *

_**Hello my dear Miraculous readers!**_

_**Gosh, I love Zhi and Alice's relationship! Ahahah! **_

_**I know this chapter looks like a filler. Let me assure you: It is not. It is a very, very important chapter! And you will understand why soon enough. (not that soon, but, soon)**_

_**For anyone wondering, Olivia and her friend did get her signed posters and took about dozens of pictures with Zhi and Alice! **_

_**I do hope you like it! Review, **_**puuuurr**_**ease!?**_

_**Love, **_

_**AuriMoon***_


	10. All cards on the table

_**Hello, my Miraculous readers! **_

_**It's the tenth chapter already! Hope you are enjoying the ride so far! **_

_**Sorry I didn't post it sooner! I have been extremely busy xD**_

_**Enjoy :***_

* * *

**All cards on the table**

Right when the words came out of his mouth, Adrien felt in his gut that he shouldn't have said them. One thing was admitting to himself he _liked_ Bugzhinette and flirt a little by text, another completely different was to almost declare his love for her over the phone. Especially when he knew that she was bound to react badly to it. There wasn't much he knew about her – because she was so reserved – but there was a lot that he'd easily guess.

Adrien was a bit tired of this dance they had been dancing. He wanted to know her, for real. He desperately needed someone like her in his life. He knew she liked him, at least as a friend… Because why bother to talk so much with someone you have never even met? And he was okay with only being her friend if that was all she wanted from him, but… He wanted to be able to meet her, talk to her, and see her. He couldn't get rid of the image of Zhi Ruo whenever he tried to envision her and it was getting him frustrated. Frustrated to the point that he'd said what he shouldn't have on a phone call that shouldn't have happened.

In his defense, she had called him first, even if it hadn't been on purpose. After she answered his call, he had been so excited that he was actually talking to her that he'd forgotten to filter his thoughts. And the result of that had been she turning cold and distant and ending the call right after he praised her for being the perfect girl for him. He had apologized, of course. He also sent a new text when she didn't respond to the first one, but she was at the movies, and he didn't want to be a bother, so with extreme effort and hoping she would say something to him when the movie was over he'd put down his phone and focused on work, trying to forget his worries and trying to forget that she was in London with her friend.

If he just went for a walk… Pass by a few movie theatres…

But that was insane. Even if he did see her, he wouldn't be able to recognize her.

Shaking the silly thoughts and absurd ideas off his head, he focused on his working table, where the pink and black fabric lied tangled together. A sly grin grew on his face. At least one good thing came out of this: his plan to piss off Zhi Ruo Léi was thriving along with his growing frustration.

"I just hope Thomas doesn't fire you when he sees that Ladybug's icon red suit has become pink," pointed Lucie as she entered his workroom.

"Has no one ever taught you to knock before entering someone's room?" he replied with a smile, not bothering to look at her as he picked up the pink fabric. Adrien's plan was to show it to Thomas when it was too late to change it.

"Zhi will be pissed when she sees her wardrobe," Lucie giggled and Adrien's grin widened. "No one can contest that she looks really good in pink, though. She looked beautiful at the premiere."

"The best part is that she won't even know who to yell at," Adrien added waving his brand tag with an X on it, while he ignored the last part of Lucie's comment.

"I don't think I ever saw Zhi yelling at anyone, Adrien. If she does this time, it's because it really got on her nerves," Lucie giggled.

"That is kinda my main goal at the moment," Adrien laughed and Lucie refrained from doing the same. What he was doing was funny, but he wasn't doing it for fun. Lucie sighed. It had been so long… In her opinion, Zhi and Adrien needed to forget the past and work things out. They weren't seventeen anymore! They had grown up! And they had such a great friendship back in the day; why not go back to that, now that they had had the time to move on? Lucie might be the younger one, but they were the ones still acting childish.

Noticing that Lucie hadn't said anything, Adrien turned and caught a glimpse of her gloomy face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing," Lucie shrugged. Adrien lifted his eyebrows. "I was just thinking that there will be a massive bad atmosphere if you and Zhi don't fix your issues before we start recording the new Miraculous movie." Adrien visibly breathed in and turned back to face his working desk.

He knew she had a point. Part of him wanted to fix everything and pretend that nothing had happened… but the other part, the angry one, was pissed at him for even considering it. Zhi didn't deserve a second chance. She had broken him. He had never found it in him to love again until now, and he didn't even know the girl he was falling for. Somehow, the angry part of him blamed it all on Zhi. Everything that was going wrong in his life was Zhi Ruo's fault. He knew it was immature to think like that, so there was a war inside him.

Lucie rested a hand on his shoulder. "Adrien," she called quietly. "I know she hurt you really badly, but it has been almost eight years. You will be forced to coexist with her again, either you want it or not. You are both adults. Isn't it better if you just let it go? Try to get to know her again? Because she must have changed…" Adrien lifted his head to say something but Lucie didn't let him. "Maybe she changed for the worse, but maybe she changed for the better. You will never know until you give her a chance." _If she wants a chance, that is._ Lucie added mentally.

Adrien gulped. _Why did Lucie have to be always right?_

"Just think about it, okay?" she urged him with an understanding smile. "You have around two months to decide." He nodded and she laughed softly, looking at the pink fabric in his hands. "Please don't give up on the pink ladybug suit, even if you decide you should make peace with Zhi. It looks great."

The next day, Buggzhinette finally answered his texts. He had sent the normal good morning greeting and she had responded as if nothing had happened the day before. He was really relieved when she answered, but throughout the day they kept on making small talk and everything seemed out of place. She was cold with him and it wasn't just his mind playing tricks. Her texts were visibly shorter and sharp. He tried to ask more than casual questions, personal ones, but she dodged them all of as a child's butt dodges the syringe.

Only around mid-afternoon, he understood:

_Everything is wrong._

She kept answering, but she wasn't her light, funny self anymore. She was avoiding him.

Although he felt that he shouldn't, the thought of never having what he had with her ever again was eating him from the inside, so he decided to be forward with her and ask about the night before.

He would start casually and see where she led the conversation.

[17h21 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _So, how was it last night? _

_Yes, that should do it for starters._

He set down his phone and kept on working. She probably would take some time to answer.

Adrien was sliding a black thread through a needle hole when her reply came.

[17h33 Today]

Buggzhinette: _It was good. _

_Great. Is that all she is gonna say?_

He let go of the phone and grabbed two hands full of hair with frustration. He did not want to answer irrationally. That was what had put him right in the middle of this mess. Truth be told, he felt a bit silly… It just wasn't reasonable that they'd been talking for a little over a month and he had fallen for her already. It wasn't normal! Or okay! Her reaction was bound to happen! For all she knew he could be a very well disguised creep, trying to find his way into her life or/and her panties. He had to think this through.

Should he get it out in the open and apologize? Claim he was joking?

But he wasn't joking! What if he really wanted to let her know his true feelings next time and she thought he was joking too?

He remembered Lucie's words: he was an adult. He should behave like one and own up to what he had said because it was the _truth_. It was crazy, but it was the undeniable truth and he wasn't going to lie about his feelings. Not to the girl that he–

–loved. He forced himself to finish that thought as a grown man should.

[17h39 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _LB, I'm sorry I said what I said the way I said it. I shouldn't have._

_That was good. _He apologized for the way he'd said it, but not for the content of what he had said. Because he'd wanted to say it and it wasn't a lie.

His heart pounded, as he partially prayed that she didn't notice that 'small' detail. He audibly blew the air through his mouth, trying to calm down. He didn't like not being able to do anything. He hated that he was in her hands. That was a position where he felt very uncomfortable. The worst part was that this type of terror wasn't new to him. Why did he let his guard down so soon for this girl?

To his surprise, she didn't take as long to answer as he'd expected, although the answer wasn't very pleasant.

[17h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I really don't know what you expect me to answer, Chat. And it pains me to see that you still think that "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission"._

Adrien frowned and typed, feeling offended with what he'd just read. She not only had missed the 'small' detail – another love confession ignored –, but she also tried to lecture him!

[17h43 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I'm only sorry about how I said it! I should have picked a better moment. _

With his frown lowering, he added:

[17h44 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _But I'm not sorry for my words. Not when they are the truth. I'm sorry I didn't meet with you and said it to your face. In person. That's what I'm sorry for! If I had, you'd know I meant every word._

_Sent. _

**Fuck.**

Now he'd done it.

_I meant every word._

He did mean every word, but, like the day before, he'd spoken out his heart without a filter, burying himself deeper when he should be scratching for a way out of that hole.

She didn't answer.

Not for a long time. And it was hard to focus on work knowing he was walking a tightrope and might fall. He pondered whether to send another text, but what could he say? He wasn't going to apologize again. He had his pride too.

Well, it was out. Loud and clear and there was not much he could do except owning up to it. Maybe he should risk whatever was left to risk and beg her to meet him? What did he really have to lose that he hadn't put on the line with all he'd said? She was obviously already pissed at him...

He picked up his phone and received her response.

[18h08 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I still don't know what you expect me to say._

Adrien breathed in and out, gathering all the courage he could get.

_This was it._

[18h10 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Say you'll meet me. I need to see you. Please meet me._

There.

All cards on the table.

He felt very nervous but somewhat proud. What was the worst that could happen? That she would say no? He could live with that for a little longer.

[18h13 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I will travel for work and will be out of reach. Don't try to contact me, I won't answer._

His heart fell on his feet as he read her message.

He had been wrong.

How could he miss it? THIS was the worst that could have happened and he wasn't prepared AT ALL when it hit him.

Feeling the world crumbling at his feet he held on to the phone as if it was a life buoy. She hadn't mentioned a trip for work before! She must have made that up! Even if she was traveling for work, where on earth do you go to get so 'out of reach'? Not only she was completely ignoring his advances, she was also ditching him. Big time. And that hurt. He never imagined she'd do that because he thought he meant something to her too.

[18h15 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Don't do this, Bugz._

[18h17 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I don't have much of a choice. I have to sustain myself._

The natural way she responded made him feel like the lump on his throat had gotten bigger. He didn't mean 'don't do this' as in don't do your job and she knew it!

[18h20 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _And you will travel to the fucking middle of nowhere, where there's no internet or cell line at all?_

Even though they were texting each other, he wouldn't conceal the bitterness and frustration in his words and he knew that wouldn't escape her either.

[18h21 Today]

Buggzhinette: _No. I just won't answer you._

That hurt more than anything she'd said so far. He wanted to throw his phone to the wall and scream with pain. But he didn't. He forced himself to breathe, and he forced himself to pretend not to care as much as he did.

[18h24 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you, but I think it's better if we take a time out. I will need to be very concentrated in my next job and you have been a distraction that I can't afford to have. _

Adrien let out a frustrated snort.

[18h25 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Now who's asking for forgiveness rather than permission!? _

[18h26 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Chat, I really am sorry. I understand your frustration, but this… whatever it is we have... is toxic for me. I have to walk away if I want to keep my sanity._

It was toxic for him too! But running away from their feelings was never going to be a solution! It was toxic because they hadn't met yet!

Hope started to root on his chest like a weed, feeding itself from the realization that she was running away from 'whatever they had'. She hadn't told him that she didn't have feelings for him. It was probably because she _did_ have feelings for him that she was running. If he could just convince her not to...

[18h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _It's toxic because you keep trying to run away from me! From what we have! Don't try to deny it, because I know you feel something too. Otherwise, you'd stopped talking to me the moment you said you would. Please, please, M'Lady, meet me. _

He eagerly waited for her answer, not bothering to put down his phone.

[18h31 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I can't. _

Hope withered a little, giving place to frustration and bitterness.

[18h32 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Can't or won't?_

In the state he was in, minutes seemed more like hours passing. Adrien got up and walked back and forth on his working room, trying to find interest in the objects on the room. He was beginning to wonder if she'd answer at all when she finally did. He rushed to his phone.

[18h45 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Both. _

Another hit to his already crumbling heart. At least now she wasn't dodging the subject and was answering truthfully. He was prepared to answer when another text from her arrived.

[18h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And I need a time out. I will be out of Paris for about two months and I need space. I won't take my Catphone with me._

She needed space.

He let himself fall on the chair, feeling utterly defeated. He shouldn't have said anything this early on. She probably thought he was a creep. And even if she didn't think that, why would she believe him? They'd started talking not so long ago; it was hard for him to believe he felt like that for her, so _why_ would she believe him?

Sighing, he wrote his thoughts exactly.

[18h49 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Is it because you don't believe me, or because you think I'm a creep?_

He tapped his fingers on his working desk, waiting.

[18h53 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You lost me there, Chat. I believe you. I believe you when you say you hate Zhi Ruo Léi. I believe you when you say you are a great designer. I believe you. But I really don't understand the question._

Maybe his worries weren't the right ones? Maybe she did believe him… Well, if she felt what he felt, it wasn't hard to believe the other had fallen too...

[18h55 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Then believe me when I say I'm in love with you. _

And at the same time he sent it, he received:

[18h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And why would I think you're a creep? _

…

_Maybe because I keep declaring myself to you? Like a creep? _

The more he did it, the easy it became. He was at peace with his feelings for her, now that they were out.

[19h00 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You don't know me. _

She obviously wasn't at peace with her feelings for him, nor did she entirely believe him, even though she said she did. Now was his chance. He had to ease her fears and make her believe in him. He had to make her take a leap of faith.

[19h07 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _But I do know you. I'm not saying it's not weird that I have these feelings for you, but I can't deny them anymore. I'm losing my sanity here, too. You think the solution is to run away from me, but that will only make us both miserable and that is not a solution. _

[19h13 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I think you're mistaking love for curiosity. You don't know who I am and you have the thrill of the chase. You don't love me. You are just curious to meet the girl behind the mask. You don't know me. You know what I want you to know. You wouldn't be so eager to meet me and declare your love for me if you really did know who I am._

She was _scared_. Really scared. He could see that now.

His Lady wasn't running because she didn't feel what he felt or because she was sick of him! She was scared of getting hurt! She was scared he might not like her outside! Even though he felt a bubble of relief growing on his chest, as he finally understood what she was so worried about, he couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. What kind of person did she think he was? Still, he needed to show her she was wrong. He couldn't just give up, even if she thought so poorly of him. He needed to show her that he did know her and it didn't matter what she looked like, she was the girl he was in love with.

[19h20 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _But I do know you. You are the sweetest, funniest, most amazing person I've ever talked to! You are sassy and ironic. You get every stupid joke or pun I make. You genuinely care for everyone around you! You are confident most of the times, but you're also insecure. And that's because someone has hurt you badly. I know that much! Bugz, please, please, believe me. I know you are scared, I am a bit scared too, but I would never do anything to hurt you. It doesn't matter who you are! I only care that I never met you because I want to hug you and kiss you! (if you'd let me) I have this need to know you are real… It's like you came out of a dream and I don't want to wake up! I don't care what you look like, M'lady. I'm in love with you. _

And he waited again.

He waited, ignoring the fact that Zhi Ruo Léi herself was reading that message. He waited, ignoring the fact that that message had only made the girl he was in love with more certain that they needed to break it off _now_. He waited, ignoring the fact that his Lady wept with a broken heart as she wrote:

[19h23 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You are wrong. _

Another text followed that.

[19h24 Today]

Buggzhinette: _It does matter who I am. _

Adrien felt his cheeks warm up. From his uninformed point of view, she'd totally missed the point.

[19h26 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Of course it matters who you are. That's not what I meant!_

[19h27 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Then what did you mean, Chat?_

[19h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I meant it won't change how I feel about you._

This time he didn't have to wait for her answer.

But he didn't know that she was _right _and he was_ wrong_.

Everything he'd said had only made his Princess more scared of her own feelings. He was going to break her heart because of _who_ she was.

[19h32 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Wrong again._

_Who was her to decide that for him? _

[19h33 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _What the hell, Bugz! You don't know that! _

[19h34 Today]

Buggzhinette: _But I do. _

Adrien let out an unhumorous laugh, as he wrote back:

[19h35 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _No you don't!_

And once again, a text popped up at the same time he'd sent his.

[19h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Take care, Chat. _

That 'Goodbye' of hers hurt him more than anything she'd said until then. His chest burst with fear and frustrated anger.

[19h37 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _What! Don't ditch me just because you don't like where the conversation is going! _

Half hour passed and she didn't answer.

[20h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Please, Bugz, don't do this to me! You're being childish! _

Another hour passed and the fear and anger became despair.

[21h00 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Please talk to me..._

He didn't eat much. He couldn't find it in him to do it. Lucie and his father tried to make him talk, but he didn't want to.

Despair didn't leave him. He was soon begging her not to leave him.

[22h39 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Princess, please, please forgive me. I need you in my life! If it's too soon for you to agree to meet me, I don't mind! Or if you don't EVER want to meet me, I'm fine with that too. Please don't ignore me. Please talk to me. We can figure it out!_

She didn't answer and he didn't sleep that night.

He kept texting her every once in a while. Sometimes with hours apart, sometimes with just minutes, unaware that she couldn't sleep either and that every begging text from him was like a knife piercing her broken heart.

* * *

_**Don't kill me just yet! *Ahaha* I'm sorry it's not fluffy, but we need this chapter. Believe me. XD **_

_**Lots of love,**_  
_**AuriMoon***_


	11. Let go

_**Let go**_

* * *

Zhi had been praised by the director all week. Her character was miserable, so she could say without a doubt it had been the easiest role she'd played in her life.

She had meant to leave her catphone at Alice's house, but that had proved to be a really hard thing to do. So, despite what she'd told Chat, Zhi had brought it with her and, every day for the past week, she'd come to her hotel from the shoot and she'd turn it on to find Chat's texts in her inbox. For the first few days after she said 'Goodbye', he'd been texting her almost nonstop. Zhi would turn the catphone and have dozens of texts unread, asking her to reconsider.

She knew she shouldn't read those texts – because it was painful – but she couldn't find it in her not to. Being hurt by his pleas was better than not reading anything from him at all.

But Zhi never answered and the flow of texts had started to ebb. She wondered if he'd give up eventually. Now, she'd arrived at her hotel to find a 'Good morning' text and occasional texts telling her something funny that had happened to him, or random comments about food, or movies… It appeared that he'd given up begging. Still, she treasured those texts more than anything. Reading and rereading them had become the highlight of her day, although she still refrained from replying. She couldn't handle him saying he was in love with her again, when she knew he despised her. Even if he didn't know it himself.

She was glad she had this time alone. Ireland was beautiful and the little town where she was filming in, Adare, was stunning. Full of historical landmarks and green landscapes.

When it wasn't raining, after reading Chat's messages, she'd go for a walk. It was a great way to clear her mind. She wasn't approached all the time in the streets by fans either, which allowed her some peace and quiet to consider everything.

The second week of filming went on like a breeze and she finally found the courage to start reading the Miraculous manuscript. Once she started it, she couldn't stop.

The beginning was pretty basic. The last movie had ended with Ladybug and Chat Noir defeating Hawkmoth and retrieving his Miraculous, but Gabriel Agreste was a very well connected person and had managed to escape. Ladybug, knowing the danger had passed, had revealed herself to Chat Noir, unaware that he was actually Adrien Agreste, the boy who had just lost everything.

The new movie started with Ladybug fighting crime alone. Her partner had disappeared after she revealed herself to him. That had been a huge blow to the super heroine's heart. It only served to prove that Marinette would never be good enough for Chat, even though he had said he would want whoever was behind the mask. He'd been flirting with her for years and they'd kissed several times; she even thought they might have been dating despite never having put a label on it, but when Marinette was revealed to be Ladybug, he'd run away.

So, from that day on, Marinette had concealed herself behind her alter ego's mask.

Eight years later, it was easier to spot Ladybug in Paris than Marinette. As for Chat Noir, not even a glimpse of him.

After discovering that Ladybug was Marinette, Adrien had run away in shame. Hawkmoth had been living under the same roof as him for years and he never even suspected it. His father had been terrorizing Paris and he'd been too busy flirting with Ladybug and Marinette to notice it. Finding out they were the same person had only made him feel more disgraceful and unworthy of her. He'd decided to hunt his father down and only come back when he managed to do it.

The story of the movie started, of course, with Adrien's arrival. He had confronted his father and had been really close to imprisoning him once. However, Gabriel Agreste was now involved in making disguises for very bad people in return for shelter, and Chat Noir had almost been killed several times while fighting them. He'd come back because his father's trail was now pointing to Paris.

Obviously, it was only a matter of time before Ladybug ran into Chat Noir. It wasn't pretty. Ladybug fought him, not only with words, and all the while he kept dodging, but never trying to hurt her like she was trying to hurt him. Seeing her like that, made him feel even more ashamed of everything. She said she was in love with him, but she had no idea that he was the son of a villain.

_Chat has no idea I'm Zhi Ruo, his version of a Villain._ Zhi thought bitterly.

The fight came to a stop when she screamed at him in rage and hurting:

"Why are you here!? Go away! We've been _fine_ without you!"

He pretended that what she'd said didn't hurt and answered calmly:

"I'm here because Gabriel Agreste is here."

Ladybug was so surprised, she didn't answer.

Chat Noir continued. "I left to find him and put him in jail where he belongs." Then with an uncertain plead in his eyes he added: "I could use your help…"

It was hard to convince her, but he finally did. She didn't want Paris to suffer because she was mad at him, although she made a point of reminding him that even if she was helping, they were NOT partners anymore.

Ladybug decided to call out the old gang: Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee to help out. After days of working together, Chat started telling them about his experience while searching for Gabriel Agreste… and Ladybug slowly began to make peace with him. They obviously still loved each other.

One of those days, Chat and Ladybug stayed out later than the others and Ladybug asked him again why he ran eight years ago. After some evasion from him, he finally admitted that he didn't want her to know. Not until Gabriel Agreste is behind bars. After that, she asked him if it was because he was disappointed when he found out who she was. He looked at her as if she had grown two more eyes. Then guilt spread through his face when he told her that finding who she was had only made him love her more. Then, they kissed and end up at Marinette's house, making out some more.

_This is the scene I read at Thomas's office._ Zhi realized and gulped wondering again if she could do it with Adrien. It was easier to think about it now that Chat_Noir_999 was in her life. _Even though he isn't in my life right now. It's easier._ Deciding to worry about it when the time came, Zhi Ruo kept on reading.

After the superheroes had their night together, there's a lead on Gabriel's whereabouts and Chat Noir impulsively follows it, leaving Ladybug no choice but to go with him. There's a lot of fighting and they get beaten up by the bad guys. Rena, Queen, and Carapace arrive just in time to balance things. Chat Noir follows Gabriel Agreste. Gabriel scorns his son and plays with his feelings, going to every length not to go to prison. They fight. Gabriel plays dirty and Chat is letting his feelings get in the way. Gabriel manages to capture Chat Noir and that's when Ladybug arrives to save the day, but not before Gabriel hurts Chat badly and tells her who he really is. Ladybug manages to recover from the surprise and fights Gabriel. She is also distracted with worry for Chat/Adrien, but every sneer from Gabriel makes her stronger. In the end, she manages to apprehend the villain and lets him know that his son is nothing like him. Rena, Queen and Carapace take Gabriel Agreste to the police and Ladybug takes Chat Noir, now as Adrien Agreste, to the hospital. She cries and declares her love for him, and he does the same before losing consciousness in her arms.

For the final scene, all the heroes are gathered at Adrien's hospital bed, with no more secrets between them. The movie ends with them laughing at the obvious joke 'It's about time' coming from Nino, referring to Marinette and Adrien finally being together.

Zhi sighed when the script ended. It would make a good movie. She loved all the passages she'd have to do with Alice and Lucie. Lucie didn't appear in the movie physically, but they acted Marinette and Tikki's scenes together. She wondered how the little girl that she'd seen grow up was doing. She probably wasn't little anymore, Zhi laughed at herself.

Zhi placed the script in the desk of her hotel room and lay down in bed. She should rest, but she didn't think she could sleep. She hadn't had dinner, but it would be a bother to order something at this late hour…

She put on her pajamas, lay under the bedcovers and grabbed her phone that was charging in her bedside table. She hoped Alice was awake.

[01h04 Today]

Zhi Ruo: _I finished reading the Miraculous script._

Zhi announced. She felt good having so much time for herself, but she also felt very lonely. Especially now that she was abstaining herself from talking to the person who had been making her days better. When she talked with Chat she never felt alone, but she couldn't talk to him… And Alice was probably asleep right now, which was the reason she didn't call her friend. But somehow… Chat was always awake when she texted.

Her catphone bipped.

_Thinking of the devil._ She thought, smirking a little.

[01h07 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Sweet dreams Bugaboo. _

Zhi's throat became tight, and she could barely manage to gulp. Her eyes started itching.

_Sweet dreams, Kitty._ She wanted to say. She wanted to say it so badly. She wanted him back, but she couldn't have him.

She _really_ couldn't.

One month and a half of talking with him had made her feel like that! What would happen if she spent_ more_ time talking to him? There was no way of telling what would happen, what he would do when he found out that she was Zhi Ruo, and she couldn't fall for him without knowing.

Alice would probably just beg her to tell him and be done with it, but Zhi didn't want to lose him. Plus, he wouldn't believe her anyway… Al would say, 'Then stop ignoring his texts', but that wasn't an option either. It was a better option than just tell him, but still not an option because it would make it harder for both of them if he found out.

It was with thoughts like this and occasional stray tears that Zhi Ruo finally fell asleep.

* * *

_**~ 6 weeks later ~**_

* * *

[09h00 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Good morning, Princess! Hope you have a wonderful day 3 _

_Sent._

But as always, not delivered. They were only delivered by the end of the day, which made him think that Buggzhinette had taken her catphone with her after all, and that gave him hope. In an act of despair and utter impulsiveness, he also sent:

[09h01 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I hope it's today, M'Lady. I'm still waiting for you._

"Still clinging to the mystery girl?" Simon let out a frustrated sigh, interrupting Adrien's thoughts while receiving a mug of tea from Lucie. They were about to start working on Adrien's brand, X.

"Come on, Simon, don't be mean…" started Lucie, seeing the defeated face Adrien was making at his phone.

"I'm not being mean, Lucie!" he replied exasperated, turning to face Adrien next. "It's been what? Two months–?"

"It's hardly been six weeks," corrected Lucy, unimpressed. She had tried to cheer Adrien up and made him wonder if it wasn't time to move on, but not like THAT. Simon could be very insensitive.

"_Six weeks_ with no answer?" Simon repeated outraged. "And you keep sending her daily texts?"

"I think it's romantic!" defended Lucie, struggling to find arguments in favor.

"It's insane!"

"Guys," called Adrien in an exhausted tone. "Let's just work, okay?"

As he turned around to prepare his sketchbook to show them, Lucie and Simon shared a concerned look.

Lucie had been supportive of Adrien's decision to not give up at first, but as the weeks passed, she was starting to worry deeply. In the last two weeks she had tried to make Adrien see that he should give up, but he didn't. Besides not being healthy for him, he was probably pushing the girl even further away. She had asked for space, and he wasn't giving it to her. She might even think of him as a stalker now.

"Okay," started Simon clapping his hands together. "Should we start with the Miraculous Ladybug wardrobe or with the new possible client I have for you?" he asked with a very suggestive tone in his voice.

"Ohhhh, new client?" squealed Lucie with curiosity while Adrien kept organizing his stuff.

Simon shrugged at Adrien's lack of interest. "I know it's weird, and I have no idea how she heard of the brand so early on, but Alice Martin wants to order two evening dresses from the X brand," Simon said with a smirk.

"Wait, _The_ Alice Martin we know?" asked Lucie, interested.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I have absolutely no idea how she found us, though. We haven't even started advertising."

"Maybe Thomas told her?" Lucie wondered, pensive.

"Or somehow she found our website," shrugged Simon. "I only posted the pictures of the dress he made for his missing muse–"

"That's great, but I don't think I will have the time. It's a month 'til we start shooting Miraculous, and I still have a LOT to do," Adrien sighed as he turned to face them. "And before you say anything, I'm not hiring anyone to help me," he added quickly when he saw Simon's mouth opening to refute. "I want to do this alone. When Miraculous is over, we can find a place to rent, create the atelier and then start hiring more designers if we have a lot of work."

"I know you don't have time now! I wouldn't think of getting you more work for the next month! You think I'm stupid?" Simon laughed, astonished with Adrien, and sounding a bit wounded. "Alice sent a message to our info email. Apparently she is making a surprise birthday party for Zhi and wants you to make her and Zhi's dresses. Guess it makes sense that she thinks Zhi would like your work… The only dress on the website is the Chrysanthemum, inspired by the Chinese Culture." Adrien frowned. He really wasn't in the mood to talk about stuff other than work, let alone Zhi Ruo related stuff. Simon could read the atmosphere, so he decided to move on. "Anyways, I just thought it would be cool for them to wear a piece from X. It would be great to get free publicity, but you can think about it later. Moving on, what have you got to show us?"

Adrien sighed slightly and gave Simon his sketchbook. Lucie had already seen the drawings, but she sat close to Simon and peeked inside.

Colorful sketches of Miraculous characters, drawn with pen and pencil, filled the pages. Simon turned the pages with growing attention.

"At least something good is coming out of that heartbreak of yours," Simon admitted when he reached the end of the sketches with half of the notebook still empty. Lucie knocked her elbow against Simon's ribs, followed by a murderous look. He cleared his throat. "Ah-I mean, these are really great. I don't think I ever saw you draw with such detail." Adrien nodded, acknowledging the compliment, and Simon frowned. "Have you started sewing any of these?" he asked pointing at the drawings, trying to ignore the massive concern he was starting to feel. He had to make Adrien come out of the house; he could bet his most prized possession that he hadn't gone out in weeks, just sketching. Work be damn. Adrien's physical and psychological health were way more important.

"I finished almost all of them, actually," Adrien replied, finally smiling as he looked at them.

"All of them?" repeated Simon surprised. "But- They are…" Simon started counting the outfits represented in the pages.

"Not all of them… There are forty-three, but more than half, yes," he replied, still with an exhausted smile on his face. "I finished the twentieth-eighth yesterday, to be precise."

"That's crazy, kid!" Simon didn't know if he should be happy or scared. Adrien had created and finalized twenty-eight outfits, almost two-thirds of the total sum, in a third of the time he had to make all of them.

"It really is extraordinary," Lucie agreed with a nod.

"Thanks!" Adrien chuckled, "I was a bit impressed with myself too."

"Where are the outfits?" Simon asked eager to see them.

"In the sewing room. There are too many to bring to the living room," Adrien explained, "Wanna see them?" he asked, starting to walk to said room.

"Of course!" Simon got up, taking down the sketchbook that accidentally opened to a page with drawings he hadn't seen and didn't belong to the Miraculous world. He picked it up and his chin dropped.

"These are absolutely stunning," said Lucie in surprise as she peeked inside.

Adrien turned around. "Hum?" he looked at Simon's hands, at the sketchbook and realized what they were talking about. "Those are just daydreams of my mind," he chuckled, brushing off the importance of the drawings.

"These are better than the Miraculous ones!" replied Simon outraged. "Why don't you use them?" Simon leafed through the pages. "Look," he said turning the pages to Adrien. "Two evening gowns! You are taking Alice's order! You only have to conceive the dresses, man!"

"Okay, okay!" Adrien answered waving his hand. "Wanna see the actual outfits, or are you still admiring the sketches that you were not supposed to see?"

"I wanna see the actual outfits, but I'm also arranging a meeting with Alice," Simon replied, annoyed that Adrien tried to wave away the greatness of his own creations. _Daydreams of my mind, my a**._ "She is getting her dresses, plus, I wanna know more about this party!" he winked at Lucy as he whispered theatrically. "Maybe we even get invited!"

She giggled, delighted, while Adrien groaned. "Even if we are invited, I'm not going."

"Dude, seriously, you have to let it go," disapproved Simon. "The shady things that happened between you and Zhi Ruo are in the past. A very, very far away past! You were kids. None of you are the same person now, so you will man up and make peace with it," he exploded, surprising Adrien with his outburst.

"I don't want to let it go," Adrien countered slightly angry, "I-"

"I don't fucking care about what you think you want," Simon interrupted. "Adrien, you weren't the only person who lost something that day. For you, we kinda lost touch with Alice and Zhi. We lost our friends too. Now, I'm not saying you asked us to do it, but we did. It's time for you to start thinking of someone other than yourself! You're not even in love with her anymore! It's only your pride that's hurt, that's all!"

Lucie had stepped away to a corner and decided not to butt in. Adrien's face registered hurt, but the things Simon was saying, were all things that needed to be said. "Can you even imagine the heavy atmosphere both of you will leave on set once Miraculous starts shooting if you continue like this? Alice is building a bridge for us here and I think it's best if we walk on it! So, you should definitely let it go. Otherwise, you're just a really selfish little bastard."

There was silence. The kind of silence where you can hear if someone breathes.

Adrien knew Simon was right, and Lucie obviously agreed with him on it. He didn't want to try and trust Zhi Ruo again, let her in… It was almost out of the question, but his friends were right. Technically, Zhi Ruo didn't do anything to _them_. He should stop being selfish. Plus, he could make peace with the past without being friends with her. He could coexist in the same place as her, as acquaintances.

Breathing deeply, Adrien said: "I have one-, no! Two conditions."

Lucie cheered, delighted, and Simon smiled proudly, knowing that Adrien would understand their point of view.

"Okay, what are they!?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"First, our involvement with the X brand stays secret. Otherwise, there's no point in calling it X," he said, also crossing his arms on his chest.

"Okay… Not sure how I'm gonna manage to do that… I should meet with Alice to discuss the dresses, right?"

"Simon, you can meet Alice anytime you like. She will come running the minute you summon her," replied Adrien, amused at Simon's frown. Lucie giggled in agreement. They all knew Alice had a huge crush on Simon back in the day. Simon knew it too and for some reason didn't like that they were joking about it now. Adrien shrugged. "Just talk to her by email as a brand associate and text her as Simon, what's the problem?"

Simon's nose wrinkled a bit, but he finally answered. "Okay, I guess I see no problem there. No gatherings physically, concerning the X brand. But if I reach out to her, I'm bringing both of you and she is bringing Zhi." Adrien visibly gulped. "Seriously, Adrien, we need to fix this as quickly as possible. And you need to get out of the house." _Maybe seeing Zhi Ruo will make you forget 'your Lady'._ He added mentally, not daring to mention it aloud.

Adrien uttered a dry "Fine."

"What's the second condition?" recapped Simon, looking very satisfied. He regretted it right away, seeing the rather sly grin growing on his friend's face.

"The dress I make for Zhi's birthday party will be pink."

* * *

**_Muhahaha! _**

**_There you have it! The break up is still on, but our lovely Chat will never give up on his lady! That much we know! _**

**_Did you like it? Hate it? Please, review and let me know! And ready yourself, because next chapter we will have some Adrinette! As in _****_Adrien with Zhi! *wink* (I don't really have a ship name for them in this AU yet XD Any suggestions are appreciated!) _**

**_Lots of Love! _**

**_AuriMoon*_**


	12. Just a friend

_**Hi there, my Miraculous readers! **_

_**I know it's been more than a week and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. I should warn you that it might get even worse from now on. But don't fret. I will never leave this unfinished. I promise you that. I care way too much for this story. I might have to put in on hold for a bit sometimes. **_

_**I hope you like this chapter! Please let me know your thoughts! **_

* * *

**Just a friend**

"Don't chicken out, now!" begged Alice, looking at Zhi sprawled over her bed.

"But I'm soooo tired!" Zhi whined frowning with her eyes shut.

Zhi had started filming for the "Where the flowers grow" in London, where she would stay at Alice's house for the next week, followed by the last five weeks of shooting in Paris. The Miraculous movie shootings would start in two weeks, meaning that the last four weeks of "Where the flowers grow" would overlap the first four weeks of Miraculous. Thomas Astruc had managed to schedule her shoot to start on the third week; so technically, she would only have two weeks of overlapping.

"I know you are! But you're only in London for a week, and the rest of your nights are booked for the shooting! We have no other day to meet!" Alice waggled Zhi's arm as she tried to force the girl out of bed. "Come on Z! You don't have anything scheduled tomorrow morning! You can sleep then!"

Zhi groaned and let herself be pulled up from the bed. "Fiiine," Zhi already regretted agreeing to have dinner with the 'old gang', but Alice was just so excited that she couldn't back down now… Truth be told, she missed Lucie and Simon terribly too. Adrien would be there… sure, but they were grown-ups now. They didn't have to be buddies to get along.

They would definitely not be buddies.

It hurt to remember the heartbreak he'd left, but now the pain she'd felt seemed so far away… overshadowed by a fresh one. One that she had brought upon herself by trying to protect her heart from a greater threat.

Chat kept sending her texts. Only two per day now: a good morning greeting and a goodnight. It had been like that for a long time. Truth be told, she couldn't find it in her to sleep without his 'kiss goodnight'. And getting out of bed without his wishing her a good day was rough. She didn't even turn the Catphone off anymore, always wishful for more than those simple comforting texts. Some days, she was lucky and got another one through the day.

Like she had today, for instance.

[20h18 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Wish me luck, Bugaboo. I'm about to face one of my worst nightmares! But don't you worry about me, I'm super strong!_

Zhi had received that text on her way to Alice's after the shoot was done, and she had laughed fondly, remembering his dramatic ways. Something important was happening to him today. Something he feared. If she could text him back, she would have let him know that she believed in him, that he could face anything. That he was amazing.

"Get dressed already!" urged Alice, pulling Zhi out from her daydream. "We should be there already! It's nine o'clock!"

"Okay, okay! Sorry! You can tell them it's all my fault we're late when we get there!" Zhi picked her dark blue dress from the chair and went to the bathroom. In the end, she was quicker than Alice thought. Zhi was already wearing fancy makeup from the shoot, so all she needed to add was a last-minute bun and put the dress on.

They arrived forty minutes late. ("Why didn't I pick a restaurant closer to home?" Alice had complained while they walked.)

Once they were at the restaurant's door, they both stopped to breathe in before entering. Neither of them wanted to admit how nervous they really were.

"Ready?" asked Alice with a hand on the knob.

Zhi felt a shiver, and even though it was a cold night, she knew that hadn't been the cause. She slowly expelled the air in her lungs and nodded. "Ready."

Alice opened the door and they entered, welcomed by delicious warmth. It was a Tuesday, so the restaurant was incredibly empty with only one table occupied apart from theirs.

Their long lost friends were already sitting, and when Zhi looked at their table and traded a glance with Adrien her stomach jumped to her throat and she suddenly felt very warm, like she'd just finished doing her cardio exercises. She rubbed her sweaty palms in her dress.

_Pull yourself together._

Alice looked apprehensive too. None of them had any idea of how this dinner was going to go as they were both facing their first crushes for the first time in years. So, they took their time composing themselves.

When the waiter took their coats, the girls shared a reassuring smile with each other and walked to the table. They were in it together, as they always had been.

Lucie jumped off her seat the minute she saw them walking towards the table and met them halfway. She wore a white blouse with a dark green knee skirt.

"Hi!" she squealed opening her arms to hug them. Soon the three of them were hugging at the same time. It was a little awkward, but the laughter soon came and the embarrassing moment of the first meeting in so long flew away.

"Oh my god, Lucie!" said Zhi, smiling proudly. "You look so beautiful!"

"You really are!" added Alice with a gentle nod.

Lucie giggled and blushed slightly. "So do you! Both of you look stunning!"

"Thank you!" Zhi and Alice replied at the same time, generating a new wave of laughter.

Lucie turned around and walked them to their table.

"We're so sorry we are late…" Alice started, mostly looking at Adrien and Lucie. She tried to sneak a glimpse of Simon and blushed deeply, making Zhi Ruo want to tease her. She didn't, though.

"It was all my fault. I was at a shoot today and it finished way later that it was supposed to," Zhi tried to explain with an apologetic smile looking at everyone, even Adrien, who nodded and gave her an unsure smile, and ended up blushing as hard as Alice.

"No problem!" said Simon, smiling widely at Alice, but she didn't see it BECAUSE SHE WAS LOOKING AT HER NAILS.

"We actually got here late too," chuckled Adrien lightly. "We arrived about ten minutes ago and we have no worthy excuse."

"Why are you still standing!?" asked Lucie, breaking the awkward one-second silence. "Sit here!" she pointed at the table. She was sitting at the head of the table, Simon and Adrien were sitting at her right leaving two empty seats at her left. Zhi sighed, relieved that she was lucky enough not to be sitting beside Adrien.

Alice moved and sat in front of Simon, and Zhi sat next to her in front of Adrien.

"Have you ordered?" Zhi asked, even before she finish sitting, trying to avoid Adrien's eyes as much as she could. Her job tonight was to make sure there was no awkwardness.

"We ordered our drinks"– Lucie pointed at their glasses and a bottle of red wine on the side table –"and some starters that should be arriving any time now."

"You girls want some wine?" Simon asked, picking up the bottle from the side table – which he was closest to.

"I will have some, yes," Zhi answered, and Simon poured wine into her glass. "Thank you."

"Alice?" Simon asked and everyone looked at her.

Alice was frozen and Zhi felt the crazy urge to shake the girl. Alice wasn't behaving like herself! She wasn't even behaving like she used to behave in front of Simon eight years ago! It was THAT bad.

"Sure, Simon, she'll have some wine too," Zhi replied politely, trying to save the girl from a very embarrassing moment. "We just need to go to the restroom and wash our hands. Excuse us," she added, getting up and dragging Alice with her.

Once they were out of their sight inside the bathroom, Zhi turned to face Alice. "Girl! You've got to pull yourself together! I thought I was going to make it awkward because of Adrien, but you're like a million times worse!"

Alice frowned worriedly. "I'm so sorry… I just have no idea what to do! It's like I can't think around him!"

"Al, you have nothing to worry about if you behave like yourself!" Alice gave Zhi an unsure look. "I mean it!" insisted Zhi. "You should have seen the way Simon was smiling at you when we came in!" Alice's eyes popped up surprised. "You wouldn't be so worried if you had done, would you? But of course, you were checking out your manicure!"

"I- How did he smile at me?" asked Alice, hopeful.

"Like he'd missed you," Zhi replied smiling, turning on the tap to wash her hands.

"What should I do?" Alice started washing her hands without looking at Zhi.

Zhi dried her hands with a small towel for that purpose and came close to Alice. "First, you don't look down," she said, gently pulling Alice's chin up with her hand. "Second, you be yourself. Pretend you are talking to me when you're talking to him, or something! If that doesn't work, act. You are an actress, a very good one, think of this dinner as a job. You have to act like yourself. Alice Martin's normal behaviour is your assigned character." Alice looked thoughtful for a minute while she dried the water from her hands, which prompted Zhi to ask: "Does that makes sense?"

Alice nodded slowly, with a brave smile growing on her face. "It does."

"Great! You'll knock him out!" said Zhi, and the girls laughed together as they walked out of the restroom.

The table was already filled with the appetizers they'd ordered. Alice and Zhi sat, still giggling, which made Lucie ask:

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Zhi replied. "I was giving Alice some weird acting hacks I learned recently."

Alice smiled and blushed slightly, but didn't look down.

"I saw Mulan, and it was soooo incredibly beautiful, Zhi!" sighed Lucie with delight.

"I know, right?!" exclaimed Alice, very excited. "She took me to the movies to see it and I love it so much!"

Zhi giggled grateful. "Thank you!" her gaze focused on Adrien's and he looked down, very uncomfortable. She started wondering if sitting in front of him had actually been worse than sitting next to him. His light blue sweatshirt fit him so perfectly that she found herself admiring his toned body, only to immediately want to slap herself in the face.

_Bad Zhi!_

"You're shooting a drama now, aren't you?" Simon asked with interest, saving her from her thoughts.

"Yes, it's my first."

"And do you like it?"

"Hum... It's been a really good experience, but it's making me very depressed, you know?" she answered, sneaking a glimpse of Adrien, who was following her words carefully.

When their eyes locked, it was like she couldn't move them away. It didn't take more than a second, but it felt like an eternity. His green eyes were threatening to hold her prisoner and…

"She is going to film Miraculous and this one at the same time," announced Alice proudly, finally giving Zhi a reason to look away.

She smiled, more relieved than anything else. She saw Adrien from the corner of her eye and he seemed very relieved too, which made her smile more real. This wasn't easy for him either.

"Wow!" said Lucie, impressed. "Really? But that's crazy! How will you manage?"

"With help from my friends and my manager," Zhi shrugged. "And it's not that crazy, Thomas arranged the schedule for the shoot to make my life easier and I won't shoot with you for the first two weeks. The movie I'm shooting right now will last for five more weeks, meaning that only the last two weeks of the shoot overlap with the other one. It will be fine."

"Still, how will you even sleep?" Adrien asked, impressed and… _concerned_?

"I'll make sure she sleeps! I'll go with her to Paris next week and stay at her place!" interjected Alice excitedly.

"Oh, that sounds so fun!" Lucie said smiling happily. "We'll just stay at the hotel, like everyone else does…"

"You are invited to come over anytime you like!" said Zhi, smiling too. "All of you," she added looking at Simon and then Adrien.

The waiter came to take their orders and the night went by like a breeze from that point on. Alice still blushed slightly whenever Simon spoke to her, but she answered as she would have if it had been anyone else talking, making Zhi proud. Adrien and Zhi still shared awkward gazes at each other, but they also traded shy smiles.

By the end of dinner, the atmosphere between them was light and friendly, like Zhi never thought it would be again.

They split the check, and went outside, into the freezing cold. It was very late.

"Aw, I'm so sad it's already over…" whined Alice, looking at the ground for the first time since their bathroom talk. She was hugging herself because of the cold and shivering slightly. Zhi made a move to hold her; she wouldn't mind some human heat too, but Simon was faster. He promptly held Alice with his right arm and rubbed gently, trying to warm her up.

"Me too," he said with a sigh, making Alice lose her ability to talk.

"We don't have to go home just yet!" suggested Lucie, who didn't seem cold at all. She had a huge furry coat on, making her look very small in it.

"True!" Simon replied, holding Alice a bit tighter. "Why don't we go somewhere?"

"Actually, Simon, I'm way too tired to go to a bar or club right now…" Zhi said sadly. "Plus, Alice and I aren't dressed for that." Their dresses were way too fancy. Suitable for the restaurant they'd been at but not for dancing.

"Then why don't we go to our house?" asked Lucie, looking at Adrien as if she was asking for his permission.

"Hum- Lucie, that's not such a great idea… The house isn't in condition to welcome anyone," he answered as if there was more to it than an untidy house.

_Wait! What the actual hell? Lucie and Adrien were_ _living_ _**together**__?_

_As in… together?_

"We could go to mine!" proposed Alice with regained courage, looking up at Simon, who looked back at her smiling. "Let's go to mine! My dad has been staying with me sometimes, but he isn't in London, so we have the house to ourselves!"

Alice's parents had travelled to Switzerland, to attend a health retreat. Alice usually lived alone, but with her mother on the hospital, her dad had almost moved in with her so that he wasn't lonely.

"Sounds good to me," said Simon with a shrug. Zhi could see that he was impressed at Alice's loosened attitude, but she could also tell that he didn't see how infatuated for him she still was, and what that innocent little embrace was doing to her.

Lucie looked at Adrien, begging with her eyes. He rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile. "Fine," he said as she laughed and cheered.

Zhi sighed. "Let's go, then!"

They walked to Alice's house, which took them around thirty minutes. Once they arrived, Zhi could see the disappointment in Alice's face when the girl realized that she had to step away from Simon's embrace to open the door. _Alice is going to get soooo teased when they leave…_ Zhi thought to herself, barely containing a grin.

They got in and Alice gave a small tour of the house showing them the kitchen, where the bathroom was, and ending in the living/dining room where they all stayed.

"You guys want to drink something?" Alice asked, letting her coat fall on an arm-chair.

The guests copied her move and put their coats on the armchair. Alice lived in an old house that had been remodelled, so all of the rooms were small. It had a couch and two armchairs facing a television and a coffee table in the centre. One of the armchairs was now occupied, which meant two of them had nowhere to sit. Apparently, Adrien was the only one that saw that too, because Lucie sat on the free arm-chair and he was kinda glaring at Simon that had just sat on the sofa.

"Do you have more wine?" asked Lucie, smiling.

"No more wine for you, little miss!" said Adrien, making Zhi feel displeased. Just because they were together it didn't mean that he could just decide that!

"Aw! Come on!" she frowned, like a little kid.

"You're already tipsy, Lucie," he said pointing at her. "Why do you want to get wasted? We're here to have fun, right?"

Lucie sighed and shrugged, agreeing with him. Zhi could see that he was just worried for her, and he did have a point… but she didn't like that he had talked to her like he was her parent.

Simon chuckled and said: "I wouldn't mind some more wine, but since lil' brother there won't let Lucie drink more, I'll have whatever."

"Lil' brother?" asked Zhi, not being able to stop herself.

Adrien looked at her with half smile. "It's kind of a joke between us, but yes. Lucie's parents didn't want to let her come to university in London alone, so she has been staying with dad and me," he explained.

_So, they weren't a couple… _

_It made sense now. _

What didn't make sense was the huge wave of relief Zhi felt hearing that explanation. She had been distressed since the moment she thought Adrien and Lucie were a couple, and now that she learned they weren't, she just felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her chest.

Zhi just nodded at the explanation and turned to Alice, who was still waiting for their answers. "I could drink some tea."

"Sound good to me," added Adrien, looking at Lucie.

She sighed. "Guess I'll have some tea, too," generating a chorus of laughter.

"So, tea for everyone?" Alice asked Simon.

He smiled, making her heart race. "Yes."

"Okay, I'll be right back!" Alice said, walking to the kitchen.

"I'm going to help," said Zhi, following her friend.

But Zhi climbed the stairs to her room before going to help Alice. She wanted to check her Catphone. Hopefully, Chat would have texted her the outcome of facing one of his 'worst nightmares'.

She picked her phone that she'd left in the drawer of the bed table and opened the Red Thread, only to find the inbox empty.

It was near three in the morning and Chat hadn't said a word. It wasn't normal. He usually sent his text between eleven and midnight even though she knew he didn't go to sleep that early… Did something happen to him?

Zhi shook her head as the laughter downstairs brought her back from her worrying state. She stuffed her Catphone in the pocket of her dress and walked downstairs to go help Alice.

She was almost done with the tea, so Zhi helped her take the teacups to the living room. Once the teacups were served, Alice sat on the sofa near Simon and Zhi sat on the floor over her knees, not minding the slightest, but then she looked at Adrien, still up, and she made a motion to remove the coats of the armchair so that he could sit.

He stopped her. "No. You don't need to do that. I'll just sit like you," he said, kneeling in front of the coffee table, next to her.

Zhi smiled and sat back where she was. If she'd felt self-conscious of her wandering eyes at dinner time, now she was fully conscious of her whole body, which was so close to his. She could even smell him… His scent was so familiar it hurt. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and found him looking back at her. They sheepishly smiled at each other and looked at Simon, Alice and Lucie who were happily talking about the Miraculous script.

Zhi blushed and glimpsed at Adrien, catching him looking at her again, and rather flushed too.

"Oh, I'm really looking forward to the hot scenes!" said Simon sipping on his tea, looking evilly over his tea cup at Zhi and Adrien, who blushed darker.

"No more cheese for you!" yelled Adrien, trying to dodge the subject by lightening up the mood. And he did. They laughed, and Zhi smiled gratefully at Adrien. He had caused the problem a long time ago, but he also was the only person that understood her embarrassment, and she could see that he was trying to put all the bad memories behind.

She knew things would never be the same as they had been, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a healthy relationship now. As acquaintances. Or maybe even friends.

"Anyway, you aren't getting much from them," Lucie added, pointing at Adrien and Zhi. "Adrien is using a double."

For some reason, Zhi felt her heart sink.

She didn't want to kiss him! _Did she?_

Zhi had been so worried about preparing herself for it, that she never really stopped to think if she might want it. She thought she didn't… but now… Why was she disappointed? And why did it matter so much to her when she had thought Adrien and Lucie were dating?

Did she still have feelings for him? After all he did to her? After all the pain? After all this time? She couldn't... but his presence still made her heart rush on her chest, her cheeks red and–

A phone vibrated and Zhi immediately reached her pocket.

_Chat._

Adrien took his phone out and said "Dad is wondering where we are," he explained, looking fondly at Lucie.

Zhi carefully took her Catphone from her pocket and checked it under the table, while Adrien was distracted, typing on his.

Still no messages from Chat. It had been Adrien's phone ringing, not hers.

Zhi was seriously beginning to worry about Chat.

[20h18 Yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _Wish me luck, Bugaboo. I'm about to face one of my worst nightmares! But don't you worry about me, I'm super strong!_

She reread that text, feeling terribly anxious. He had typed that he was about to face his worst nightmare… Did something go wrong? Did he put himself in danger somehow? She needed answers…

Slowly breathing in, trying to calm herself, she put her Catphone back in her pocket and caught a glimpse of a question in Alice's eye. She shook her head to let Alice know it was nothing, when Lucie asked: "Are you okay, Zhi? You suddenly looked very worried."

All heads turned to Zhi, apart from her own which was looking surprised at Lucie.

"Ahm~" Zhi managed to giggle, but it came out more like little nervous hiccups.

She looked at Alice, as if to ask for help, but Lucie spoke again: "Ohhhh! This is about a _boy_! Isn't it!?" She left the armchair and ran to Zhi's side, excited to hear 'more'.

Zhi felt Adrien go stiff beside her, but couldn't know for sure if it was for Lucie's sudden movement, or the path the conversation was heading.

"How-" _did you know that?_ She wanted to ask, but she could see that Lucie wasn't going to give up, so instead, she said: "You know what… Never mind. Yes. I'm worried because a very good _friend_ of mine had important things to do today, and I haven't heard from him yet."

"Your 'friend'?" asked Lucie sceptically, making Alice snort.

Zhi glared at Alice, trying to make a straight face, while her stomach was filled with butterflies.

"_Yes_. He is _just_ a friend."

"Because _he_ wants to be just a friend, or because _you_ want him to be just a friend?" asked Lucie with a smug smile.

_None?_

"I-... It doesn't matter. We are just friends, and we'll always be just friends. There's no other path for us," she said, frustrated with Lucie's insistence. "I'm just worrying over nothing. He's probably asleep. I'll talk with him tomorrow and everything will be okay," she lied, feeling her throat swollen.

"Okay, if you say so…" Lucie shrugged, finally giving up. "But if you ever need advice… Let me know!" she finished with a wink.

"She wouldn't take it," pointed Alice with a smirk, earning herself another glare from Zhi. Alice lifted her hands with palms facing Zhi, in a compliant gesture. "Hey, I'm just saying that you never take advice when it comes to your _friend_."

Zhi lifted her nose up and said: "That's because I know what I'm doing!" making the other girls and Simon chuckle. "Anyways! Let's just talk about anything other than this!"

"If it gives you any consolation," Simon said, looking at Alice. "Adrien over there never follows our advice about his _friend _either."

The three of them laughed, forming a comradery against Adrien and Zhi Ruo.

Zhi and Adrien looked at each other, both saying with their eyes 'See what I have to put up with?' and then smiled understandingly.

"That's enough," declared Adrien. "You've already made enough fun of us. Aren't you satisfied?"

"No!" said Simon, still laughing.

"Oh, come on…" protested Adrien, frustrated.

"I know!" Zhi interrupted. "Who wants to play a board game?"

Lucie, Alice and Simon traded looks.

"We could play truth or dare!" suggested Lucie with a grin emerging on the corner of her lips.

"No!" Both Zhi and Adrien replied way too quickly, making the others laugh again.

Zhi couldn't contain her smile when she said "No truth or dare. What are we? Ten?"

"Oh, truth or dare sounds really fun!" said Simon amused.

"Yeah!?" replied Adrien. "You might know all my secrets, but you're forgetting I know yours as well!"

Simon narrowed his eyes, thoughtful. "I can just choose 'Dare' every time…"

"I'll dare you to tell us your most hidden darkest secret," replied Adrien with a sly grin, making Simon frown. "And since I happen to know what it is, you can't just make one up." The girls were watching the match of words with a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"Fiiine," Simon gave in, and Adrien chuckled relieved. "No truth or dare!"

"Then… what?" asked Lucie, looking a bit disappointed.

Zhi shrugged. "Alice has Monopoly, Cluedo and UNO."

"I also have normal playing cards," Alice added with a nod.

"We can play UNO," suggested Adrien. "It's been years since I last played. It was fun…"

They all agreed, and for the next hour and a half they played UNO.

Some cheating, laughing and teasing later, the fourth game of UNO had come to an impasse. Lucie, Zhi and Adrien had their hands full of cards, Alice had one, Simon had two and it was his turn to play. If he played a card matching Alice's, she would win for the third time in a row. So, naturally, everyone was rooting against her.

Simon's hand flew to place a yellow card on the deck on top of the table as he said: "UNO"

Alice made a disappointed face as she looked at him. Simon's grin started to widen, but it disappeared the moment Alice also placed her last card on top of the desk and laughed victoriously as she threw her hands in the air, triggering a wave of disappointed groans from everyone else.

"Ahhhh!" Alice sighed and laughed spitefully. "That was way too easy. You guys suck!"

Everyone but Simon laughed with Alice.

"I will make my goal in life to beat you at UNO," he said with an intense smoulder, generating another round of laughter and making Alice blush deeply. "Let's go again!"

"Actually, I need to go to sleep," stated Zhi with sadness. She didn't want it to end, because it was so fun being with them… but she really had to. It was nearly five in the morning! "I work tomorrow. Not in the morning, but still… I should be asleep right now. You can keep the game going, of course, but I can't stay any longer."

Adrien got up from the ground. "I have to work tomorrow too."

Lucie got up as well followed by Simon and Alice.

"Let's go home, then," she said with a sad smile. "This was great! I loved every moment of it."

"Me too," nodded Alice, hugging Lucie. "I missed all of you so much…"

"We did too," Simon said, receiving a shy hug from Alice when she let go of Lucie.

Zhi and Adrien traded uncomfortable looks. Were they supposed to hug too? Zhi's mind was bustling while Lucie pulled her for a tight embrace.

"Thank you for reconnecting with us," Alice whispered when she let go of Simon. He had been the one texting her, asking for a dinner with her and Zhi.

"Don't look so sad!" chuckled Simon. "We are going to do this a lot of times from now on! Right guys?" Adrien, Lucie and Zhi replied affirmative in a chorus. Alice giggled and he kissed her on the forehead. "Take care," she only nodded.

Simon turned to Zhi: "I'm gonna take you up on the invite to your house. I will practice my UNO skills, and then we can have a decent winner on game night!" They laughed, and Simon hugged Zhi while Alice hugged Adrien.

It might look weird, all the hugging, but it wasn't. They had really missed each other, and even though they were going to meet again very soon, they were already missing the time not spent together.

Alice walked to the door after Adrien and Zhi awkwardly patted on each other's back, both hearts racing like crazy in their chests.

After the final goodbyes, Adrien, Simon and Lucie left and the girls climbed upstairs to the rooms to put on their pyjamas and sleep. Zhi was staying in the guest room, but their routine was to stay for a bit in Alice's room and talk before going to sleep. The girls lay down on Alice's bed and, for several minutes, they just laid facing the white ceiling, lost in thoughts.

"It was so fun…" sighed Alice in a sleepy voice.

"It really was. I loved every moment of it," Zhi said, agreeing. "I thought it was going to be like… hell, but it wasn't. Seeing Adrien didn't make me suffer as much as I thought it would. Past the first moments, I felt good with him around," she confessed.

"I saw," grinned Alice suggestively.

"No," Zhi shook her head feeling exhausted. "Don't even think of it." Alice let out a little giggle. "Anyways, I'm very happy with you and your new confidence around Simon. I never thought it would go that well after those disastrous first five minutes."

"Me neither! You were my saviour! I would have ruined everything if you didn't pull me back to earth."

"You would have figured it out," said Zhi. "But you probably wouldn't have been so adorable. And you would have lost to let him win… That was really fun to watch."

"It was fun to play," Alice laughed. "I don't even play UNO that much. It was pure luck."

Zhi laughed at her confession. "Of course it was luck! Unless you know how to cheat, UNO is a game of luck."

Alice nodded. "Simon is going to practice and it will make zero difference," she laughed and Zhi followed.

"He just wants an excuse to spend more time with us as a group. Didn't you hear him? 'Game night' in my house?" Zhi bended her fingers mimicking a quotation mark with both her hands.

"You think?" Alice's head popped up to look at Zhi's face.

"Yes. I'm not sure if he wants to make like a game night a month, or so, but if he doesn't suggest it I will," Zhi smirked at Alice's hopeful face. "I've never seen so much progress between you too."

"I know right? It wasn't just my mind playing tricks, right?" asked Alice way over excited.

Zhi got up and supported her head on her elbow. "Don't get me wrong," she carefully said, "Al, I don't think Simon ever looked at you like that… I'm sorry if I'm being brutally honest, but I'm just so very scared that you get hurt…"

"But you just said…"

"Yes, I think you might have a chance now, but only because you were behaving like yourself." Zhi smiled and held Alice's hand, "I think he was very impressed with the real you." Alice smile sprouted back. "That's why we need more nights like this."

Alice nodded. She didn't have false hopes now; her hope was tiny, but real.

"Did something happen with Chat?" Alice asked abruptly, looking at Zhi, concerned.

Zhi shrugged and let herself fall to the bed on her back. "I don't know," she felt her eyes itchy and her heart had jumped to her throat making it hard to breathe. "Around nine he told me he was about to face his worst nightmare… I didn't think it was important, because Chat is dramatic like that… but he hasn't said anything since then…" Zhi looked at Alice, and a tear ran freely down her cheek. "What if something happened to him?"

Alice shrugged. "Like you said, he could have just fallen asleep…"

Zhi looked at the ceiling, knowing in her heart it wasn't the case.

"Let's get some rest now…" Alice said carefully. "If he doesn't say anything in the morning, we will deal with it then, hum~?" Alice squeezed Zhi's hand that was still in hers.

Zhi nodded. "I guess you're right. If he did fall asleep there's no point in worrying like this."

"Exactly."

"I'll go to bed, then," Zhi said, slowly getting up.

"Okay, sweet dreams."

"You too."

But Zhi barely slept, and when she did, her dreams weren't sweet at all. When she couldn't stand to stay in bed for longer, she got up and took a shower, trying to wash away her fatigue.

It was already eleven o'clock when she got out of the shower. She'd stayed in bed for five hours, tossing and turning, and Chat Noir hadn't said a word. Her stress levels were growing by the minute. Something must have happened to him.

Part of her wondered if he'd just given up on her… but if he had, he wouldn't have texted her something saying he was going to face his nightmares! The more she read that text, the more it sounded like a warning to her… Did he want her to know he was facing danger before doing it? Had that been a _goodbye_ text?

Zhi forced herself to breathe and she washed her face with cold water. She had to pull herself together. She had work to do and a schedule to follow. Zhi had to be at the Buckingham Palace in two hours, go to makeup – that she much needed, after that awful night of sleep – and start shooting. With her heart in her hands she walked downstairs to prepare something to eat, even though she wasn't hungry and all.

Walking by the living room, where she had had so much fun with her friends last night while her Kitty might have been suffering, made her eyes fill with tears and she had to hug herself.

Zhi could face a world where she didn't talk to Chat. And she could face a world where he didn't talk to her. But she just couldn't imagine a world where he was hurt, or … gone.

Without giving it another thought, Zhi grabbed her Catphone, sobbing heavily and typed:

[11h28 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm so sorry for everything I put you through… I know I have no right to ask you for anything, but please tell me you're okay._

Her heart was beating fast, scared of what his answer might be or that there might be no answer at all. Her tears rolled down her cheek while she waited.

* * *

_**Review, puuurretty please!?**_


	13. Falling Again

_**Falling again**_

* * *

Despite all his fears, the dinner and game night with Zhi Ruo and Alice had gone by without a single problem. It had been weird and strange several times, but the fun and joy Adrien felt tonight had been reward enough.

He even thought that there might be a way of being friends, real friends, with Zhi again; but then again, part of him kept wondering if it wasn't all false, _**for the sake of appearances**_, like it once had. Surprisingly, he found out that he didn't really care. All he knew was that his true friends had had a blast and he felt happier than he had in months.

When Adrien and Lucie got home, past five in the morning, he let himself fall onto his bed, without bothering changing his clothes, and the world around him immediately disappeared as he fell into a heavy sleep.

When Adrien woke up, several surprises were waiting for him.

The first one, he woke up feeling more relaxed and well rested than he had in months. It might have been untruthful for all he knew, but something inside him had healed yesterday.

Secondly, when he checked the time on his alarm clock he was astonished by how long he'd slept. It was now three in the afternoon. He should be working… but he let himself stay in his warm bed for a little while, delighted with how comfortable and relaxed he was.

Then, like every morning, Adrien picked up his phone to wish his Lady a good morning. His stomach jumped inside him at the sight of a Red Thread notification. Adrien sat down in his bed, with his heart rushing against his ribs as he opened it.

[11h28 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm so sorry for everything I put you through… I know I have no right to ask you for anything, but please tell me you're okay._

The relief he felt that his Lady had finally replied back was soon replaced by an overwhelming joy that could also be described as hope. She still cared. Ladybug cared for him. She was sorry that she'd hurt him, and she wanted to know that he was okay… Only because he didn't send her a goodnight text yesterday!

With his heart still pounding wildly, Adrien briefly scolded himself. He should have listened to Simon and stop texting her if that meant she would have texted him back… but now there was no point looking back at the wasted time. Ladybug had finally answered.

'I'm great, actually! ;) Were you worried, Bugaboo?' he typed, but before he could send it, he froze, wondering if his first text after she answered him in such a long time should be a flirty one. The flirt and the love declarations had been what had pushed her away…

He deleted the text and wrote 'I'm okay.' He wanted to add something else, but what else? He was almost literally walking on eggshells. 'I'm sorry I made you worry,' he added.

_No_. That wasn't right either. She was the one that had left. He did feel sorry for making her worry, but giving an answer like that would just sound like he was desperate… He was, but he was done begging. That had stopped by the second week of her silence._ I know, pathetic._ So, for the sake of his own lost pride, he had decided he wouldn't do it again, like ever.

With a groan, he deleted the message again.

Adrien stared at the blinking cursor on his phone screen for a moment before writing 'I'm okay. I'm glad you're back, LB,' that sounded good… Even though he knew he was to blame for pushing too far, Ladybug had stopped talking to him for _months_, leaving him desperate for a sign of her life. She had freaked out without a goodnight text; imagine if she had had to wait months, like he had. She shouldn't expect the warm joyful text he was DYING to send her. She needed to prove she wouldn't run away again, first.

[15h24 Today]

Chat_Noir999:_ I'm okay. I'm glad you're back, LB._

Adrien had no idea what to expect, but the suspense was killing him. All they had, had disappeared, and there was a very big chance of her not replying again. He passed the next half hour building up his about-to-blow-up pile of nerves. He kept checking his phone every ten seconds, and that could possibly have been the longest half hour of his life.

When his phone beeped several times, he practically ripped it of his jeans.

[15h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Oh my god, Chat! I thought you were DEAD. _

[15h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm SO happy you're okay! _

[15h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And alive!_

[15h56 Today]

Buggzhinette: _And NOT DEAD!_

Adrien was laughing as his happy bubble made him almost lift his feet off the ground.

[15h56 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm sorry, I'm rambling. _

[15h57 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm so, so sorry I left, Chat. I never realized you wouldn't give up… I thought you would, eventually... When you didn't, and then sent that text last night and didn't say anything after… I thought something might have happened to you! _

Adrien wondered if he should be mad at her... She thought he would, but all he could think of was that she _really_ was talking to him again.

[15h58 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Kitty, I can't even describe what it did to me. I don't ever want to feel that way again. _

For a second there, Adrien wondered why that sounded like some kind of love declaration, but he quickly dismissed it. She cared. That was all that mattered.

[15h58 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Lol, I keep rambling xD_

He smiled fondly, with his heart bursting out on his chest.

[15h59 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Please say something…_

_Oh, right!_

_No wonder she thinks I'm pissed at her! I have to SAY SOMETHING!_

But what?

Say something… What? What the hell was he supposed to say?

That he never felt happier in his life? _Wasn't that sad?_ It was how he felt though…

_Think, think, THINK!_

[16h02 Today]

Chat_Noir999:_ I'm not dead, Bugaboo. (_It was safe to call her that, right? She did call him Kitty, so..._) I kinda fell asleep last night. _

[16h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: _But why didn't you say something sooner, then?_

[16h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm sorry, I don't have the right to ask you that. _

[16h05 Today]

Chat_Noir999:_ It's okay… It's a fair question. But I answered when I woke up, actually._

By this point, Adrien wasn't even pretending to do anything else but looking at his phone. His 'brunch' lay on the table, almost untouched, as he smirked like a lunatic at his precious device.

[16h07 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Wooow! That was a nice nap, Chaton!_

[16h09 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Yes it was. Turns out that, yesterday, my fears weren't as scary as I thought they were. I had fun. And then I came home super late and fell right in my bed. _

[16h09 Today]

Buggzhinette: _That makes me very happy. I knew you could do it. You're amazing. _

[16h10 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Now that you answered, I'm glad you fell asleep last night. You have no idea how much I've missed you. Without something like this, I don't think I would have found the courage to talk to you ever again and risk you'd hate me for leaving you for so long. I can't bear the thought of you hating me, Kitty. You mean way too much for me._

Okay, maybe it was because he was so unused at talking to her by now, but, by his books, that sounded _again _kind of like a love confession. She was probably just trying to be as nice as possible, trying to compensate for disappearing for so long, but it wasn't right… Giving him hope like that… It was making him suffer, because… What if she didn't really mean it?

Should he try to flirt the love confession out of her?

Should he be direct and simply ask her?

But he really couldn't handle being apart from her again… What if she left for good when he asked her if she was declaring her love for him? It was best to keep quiet and enjoy what they had as friends, like she had always wanted. After all, it was precisely because he had wanted more than friendship that it had all started to fall apart.

[16h12 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I need to go now. I'm shooting. And this pee break took way longer than it should have! Talk to you later! :*_

Damn, he should have enjoyed it and answered while he could, instead of overthinking everything.

[16h12 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Promise?_

He quickly typed and sent, but a few minutes later there was no answer._ She didn't reply. _He thought a bit bitterly, playing with the food on his plate.

Well, she did say she would talk to him later… She was shooting… He knew she was in the movie business, so she was working now. She had managed to take a break and reply to him, but it was normal that she couldn't answer now... If the movie industry still worked like he remembered, her taking a break so long was a great deed. He just needed to wait.

And while he waited he should do something. Time didn't pass when you play with your food, depressed. So, Adrien started working on the Adrien Agreste piece that was half finished, the one he would be wearing on the shooting of the Miraculous Ladybug, but all he did was sew in the wrong places and he almost cut the fabric where he shouldn't. He had to undo the stitches and redo his work due to his lack of concentration. He sighed, frustrated. Adrien hated days like this, but he knew there was nothing to be done. He wasn't focused enough, so all he did was going to be a mess no matter how hard he tried.

He decided to go for a walk. Lucie was at school. His dad was out for two days on a work trip… and Adrien should be working too, but apparently he couldn't. He would just ruin what was already done. The best was to let it go. Get out of the house, relax and unwind for a bit. He grabbed his hoodie, just in case, and left the house wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans.

The day was beautiful and warm. A perfect day of late spring. The sky was bright blue, painted randomly with clouds. It was hot, but a slight breeze blew, making the walk under the sun very comfortable. He wondered if he might get sunburned. He hadn't put sunscreen and his skin was very sensitive to the UV light. Well, he would deal with it later, if it came to that.

Adrien walked calmly through the familiar streets, without a heading. His mind felt freer than he was used to. Half of his life he spent hating and despising a girl that he had loved through the other part of his life, and now – thanks to a sum of events - he didn't anymore. It's not like his guard was down now, it wasn't. He knew that he couldn't count on Zhi Ruo to be truthful. It just wasn't her nature; but now that he knew that, and he didn't love her as he did before, he was at peace with it. And he had a new, stronger love interest…

Let's be real, Buggzhinette would never leave the comfort of her secret identity. His love for her was doomed, but it was a relief just knowing that, compared to the one he felt for Zhi, that is. Mostly because he didn't expect any future leading to a romantic relationship with his pen pal. He hoped there would be a future, but his head knew the odds weren't in his favor.

And also, let's be honest, it's not like he'd forgotten all about Zhi Ruo the moment Buggzhinette stepped into his life. If yesterday had shown him something was that he still felt something for his former girlfriend, but the feeling was very much faded. It manifested itself in little signs, like when his eyes locked on hers and he couldn't let go, or how he felt so self-conscious when she sat a little too close to him, or even when she talked with enthusiasm about something making him absolutely hypnotized… He couldn't really help it, but those signs had been faint last night. They were there. He could feel them. There was no way of denying that they were there, but he could also control them and shut them down most of the times. Maybe he hadn't been that mad at Zhi Ruo after all… I mean, sure he was, at the beginning… but after all these years... Maybe he had been angry with himself for falling so hard, losing his oneself in the process. That would explain why now he wasn't smitten any more, or why he felt so light, so ready to forgive everything… Though, he did have to thank his hatred for making him snap at the thought that there was a girl out there that was using Zhi Ruo's name to catfish guys. If it wasn't for that he would never have met his Lady.

Adrien stopped in his tracks when he noticed where he was.

The place was different during the day, but there was no question that he'd found his way to Alice's house. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head. Adrien really had loved the night before, but there was no rush in meeting them again. They would be reunited soon enough.

A notification broke his line of thought.

[18h37 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Sorry I kept you waiting again. I was working, couldn't have access to my Catphone. ^^_

[18h37 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I promise I will never leave again, Chat. I mean it. I care too much about you. _

Adrien felt his heart melt… Until he didn't! This had to stop! It was getting out of control! He had to know what the hell she meant by that! It was the third time she sounded like she was declaring herself to him! Not that he really believed her… He had had his share of lying friends (*coughs* girlfriends). She really shouldn't promise stuff like that… Stuff that she couldn't control!

[18h40 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Bug, I know you might mean it right now… but I don't want you to make promises if there's even a remote chance of them being empty. _

Adrien looked at the conversation thread for a couple of minutes, seeing the text hadn't been delivered. She wouldn't reply if the text didn't arrive to her… Maybe she didn't have a good connection where she was shooting… It could happen. And for all that he knew, she could have sent the two texts on her break and gone back to work...

He sighed and kept walking, deciding to think about it when she answered.

The sun was setting, and the sky was starting to look cloudy.

As he walked in the London streets, he wondered when would his Lady text. It was the end of the working day for most of the people he knew, but then again she was in the movie industry. The schedules tended to be a little different than most jobs.

The sun could still be seen in the sky, but the breeze had become strong wind, and clouds were threatening to cover the day star completely. With a shiver, Adrien pulled the hoodie through his head. It was getting colder, so he decided to turn back and go home.

He had walked halfway when suddenly it started to rain. Seconds later it was pouring so hard that he could barely see one palm ahead. He took cover on a small coffee shop that was crowded with people who had just had the same idea as he had. He ordered a coffee, and waited cold and soaked to the bones. He waited for several minutes, but the rain just wouldn't stop. His house wasn't that far… He could run and be there in less than fifteen minutes. When the rain seemed to calm a bit, he decided that there was not much to lose now, Adrien stepped out of the cafe and ran.

The shooting was scheduled to end at eleven thirty, but, knowing how these things went, Zhi knew it would probably drag out until midnight at least. Anyway, that was what Zhi Ruo thought until it started pouring heavy rain over their heads. In seconds, the hairs, makeups and props were ruined and the actors, such as herself, were conducted inside the provisory dressing rooms.

Today wasn't supposed to rain, not according to the forecast, that was why they were shooting outside. But then again, they were shooting in London.

After a short moment, the director announced they would have to redo the last scene tomorrow and there was nothing else to be done today with the crazy weather and the unstable light. Zhi blessed the rain for a moment. She hadn't had much sleep, so she wasn't really sure how she would manage to stay fully functional until midnight. Her day had become slightly better – WAY better – the moment she read Chat's answer, but with the relief came also the exhaustion of a night tossing and turning with concern.

Zhi quickly got out of her dress and cleaned the ruined make up out of her face with the help of a dressing assistant. She did not come prepared for this weather, though. She was wearing a light white t-shirt and salmon skirt that suit her every curve. She loved that skirt, but it wasn't good for this kind of weather. She borrowed a raincoat from the production guys and asked them to call her a cab. Once Zhi was done and waiting for her cab, she pulled her Catphone out of her purse, with her heart beating faster.

[16h12 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Promise?_

Zhi stared at the last text Chat had sent. She couldn't help but feel guilty for not being able to answer until now.

[18h37 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Sorry I kept you waiting again. I was working, couldn't have access to my Catphone. ^^_

Zhi typed, smiling softly at the phone. There was no way she could escape her feelings now. He had answered her and he didn't seem mad at her at all…

Gathering up all the courage she could, she answered his question:

[18h37 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I promise I will never leave again, Chat. I mean it. I care too much about you. _

The Catphone's battery died the moment her text was sent. Zhi Ruo let out a frustrated groan.

Well, there was not much she could do now. Except wait? Letting her Catphone fall in her purse and grabbing her real phone, Zhi texted Alice telling her that she would be home earlier.

That was followed by a call from Alice.

"Hello?" Zhi answered the phone with a hint of a smile.

"Z! Oh my- I'm sorry! I'm not going to be home for dinner!" Alice said, sounding a bit panicky.

Zhi chuckled. "That's all right, Al. I will manage."

"But you can't get inside the house without keys!" said Alice sounding a little too anxious for that to be her only problem.

"Al, breathe. What happened?" Zhi asked, concerned.

"Ahm..." she giggled nervously. "I'm- hum... I didn't want to bother you… You were working… but- *giggles* ah- out of nowhere, Simon kinda invited me to dinner."

"What!" yelled Zhi, earning herself some funny looks from the people passing by. "That's great, Al! Oh my god!"

"Yeah… but I'm not really sure why. He wants to talk to me about something… I would invite you, but the way he talked… It sounded as if he wanted to talk to me alone."

"Oh, even if you invited me I wouldn't go! Come on, Al! A dinner date with Simon? That's like all of your dreams coming true!" Zhi laughed.

Alice laughed too, but quickly corrected. "I'm not sure it's a date, date, Z…"

"Well, if it's not today, it soon will be if you keep it up like that!" said Zhi, excited for her friend. "Al, have a blast with him. Don't forget you're an actress, playing the role of Alice Martin!"

Alice giggled. "I won't! But about the key…"

"Don't worry, Al. I'll have dinner and find a nice hotel to stay overnight. If you want to take Simon home after your dinner date to play UNO again, I won't be there to hold the candle," laughed Zhi suggestively.

"Ha-ha" Alice fake laughed. "Not funny! I'm not taking him home!"

"I'm just saying you can if you want to!" answered Zhi innocently. She could imagine the blond's face becoming a dark shade of red.

"You're feeling better today!" Alice pointed out, changing the subject. "Has your _friend_ answered your text?"

It was Zhi's turn to blush.

"Yes, he did."

Alice giggled. "I'm glad. So I will-"

But Zhi never found out what Alice was going to do, because the call was dropped. Zhi looked at the phone, confused and realized that the phone she held in her hand had also died.

_That just great. _Zhi groaned internally.

"Zhi Ruo," called her assistant, Martha. She turned to face the woman. "Due to the weather, the traffic in London has completely stopped. There is no cab in town that can get here in less than three hours," she said with an apologetic look on her face.

Zhi's eyes widened. "Three hours?"

The assistant nodded looking miserable. "Unfortunately," she confirmed.

Zhi didn't want to wait three hours to get picked up! Alice's house, in the center of London, was a only 30-minute walk away! She could find a restaurant on the way. It was better than staying here, doing nothing without a phone and a battery charger!

"Ah, that is unfortunate," she sighed. "Never mind the cab, then. Martha, can you please see if there's an umbrella that I can borrow?"

"Yes, sure!" she said quickly. Then she left, frowning a bit.

When she came back, she brought a navy blue umbrella and a rain hat with her. "Here," she said, offering them to Zhi Ruo.

"Thank you!" she said, tying the hat on her head and then taking the umbrella off Martha's hands. "See you tomorrow!" And without further due, Zhi stepped into the rain, leaving a surprised Martha behind.

It wasn't raining too much now. The streets were overflowing with stopped cars, and the sidewalks were flooded with giant puddles, but at least the falling rain wasn't as hard as it had been a few minutes ago. Her shoes were not helping much, though. It was very hard and slippery to walk on heels when they were filled with water.

When she was half way there, the heavy rain came back hand in hand with a strong wind. Even though Zhi tried to cover herself with the umbrella, it seemed that the rain was coming from all directions due to the wind and she couldn't see one foot ahead of her. She soon became soaked and, a few minutes after her fight against the wind started, a single blow stole the umbrella off her hands, causing it to fly far away and out of sight.

_This day was just getting better and better._

No sleep, no cab, no phones, no warm dry clothes, no umbrella… Could it get any worse?

The answer to that question came five minutes later, when someone bumped into her while she was walking around a corner, making her fall over into a big puddle and twist an ankle in the process.

Zhi felt her elbow and hand scratch on the pavement, followed by a piercing pain on her left foot.

_Ouch._

"I'm so sorry!" the man that had knocked her down yelled – with that much rain she barely heard him, though – as he came closer to her to see if she was okay.

She was prepared to give him an annoyed answer, when she recognized who he was. He eyes widened in surprise. "Adrien?"

"Ah?!" he let out when he finally saw her face behind her hideous wet hat. "Zhi!?" he looked at her closely and tried to hold a chuckle. She was sitting in a muddy puddle, with a waterlogged awful coat that was way too big for her, and a hat that was glued to the sides of her head, and with her hair dripping water.

"What's so funny?" she asked sulking, noticing he was making fun of her. She tried to get up, but she fell right over when her left feet didn't hold her weight.

"Wow!" Adrien came to her rescue before she could hit the growing puddle. He was as soaked as she was. Zhi grabbed his arms, by instinct, as he held her up. She shouldn't have, though. Now her heart was racing painfully and her breathing was compromised. "Are you hurt?" he asked looking down to her feet, with concern shining on his eyes.

It was pretty obvious she was hurt… She was standing in one leg and as much as it pained her to admit, she would probably fall over if she let go of his arms.

Still, she shrugged. "I might have twisted my ankle, but it's fine. It's not serious."

"Are you sure?" he asked, sceptically. "Don't you want me to take you to a hospital? Or call you an ambulance?"

The rain had slowed down the intensity.

"Yes, I'm sure," she waved away her hand, as if it was nothing.

Inside she was freaking out.

_Oh dear god, please let me be okay tomorrow! Please, please! I hope nothing is broken._

And also…

_He is so close… His wet hoodie suits him so well… oh, it leaves nothing to the imagination. Why is he so CLOSE!? _

Adrien had always been very good looking and he'd always had a body that most guys envied… but time had been _kind_ to him.

Zhi cleared her throat and shook her head, trying to make those thoughts go away. She made a motion to step away from him, but the sharp pain on her ankle didn't let her and she would have fallen, again, if Adrien hadn't caught her. Again.

_Brilliant! The girl that knows how to parkour and fight, defeated by a freaking high heel! _she thought with frustration.

"You're fine alright," he said ironically, with a frown.

"Okay! I'm not fine! My ankle hurts! But you don't have to help me!" she said, starting to panic. "There's absolutely no way you can get me a cab and I don't want to go to the hospital. Plus, shouldn't you be working? Yesterday you said you had to… I don't want to bother you," she said quickly. "I'm fine! I can find a restaurant and a hotel on my own. You go do your stuff," she let go of him, but stood in the same spot, scared of putting too much weight in her left leg.

Adrien narrowed his eyes, not looking happy, and she didn't like that. He couldn't really judge her, could he? She could make an effort to be friendly and polite with him, but she didn't want his help.

"What do you mean find a hotel?" he had let her go, but he saw how unstable she was in her high heels, so he stood close, in case she'd fall over again.

"Alice is not home today," she explained coldly. "I wasn't supposed to go home til midnight, but I finished the shooting early and she already had made plans for dinner."

Adrien nodded, frowning slightly as if he was thinking the pros and cons of something. He looked at her in the eyes and she felt slightly uncomfortable, until he moved to grab her – that felt waaaaay more uncomfortable – bridal style, pushing a squeal out of her, and started walking the contrary direction to the one she wanted to go.

"WHAAAAAT! Adrien! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? Put me DOWN!" she yelled, bumping her fists to his body. The rain was falling shower-like again, so her yelps got lost with the sound of the water. He was the only one that could hear her, and her panic attack made him burst out laughing. "It's NOT funny!" that only made him laugh harder. His chest moved fast against her own body, as he laughed. She felt a shiver and blushed hard when she fully realized he really was carrying her and that if she looked up at him… his face would be centimeters away from hers. "Where are you taking me? Alice's house is in THAT direction!" she yelled again, trying to regain her poise.

"I know!" he smirked down at her, as he walked, leaving her speechless for a second. "We are going to my house. It's closer," he explained, shrugging.

Zhi's mouth opened in a perfect 'o' and he laughed again.

The rain had finally stopped.

"We're here," he pointed with his head, a minute later. "See? _Way_ closer." Zhi looked up at the building. It wasn't tall, three floors tops. It was narrow, as most old houses in London are, and it was painted in a beautiful green. "How's your foot? Is it safe to put you down for a second to open the door?" he asked, pulling Zhi out of her thoughts. She slightly nodded and he carefully put her down. He kept his left arm around her, making sure she was secure, as he opened the door of the building.

In the meantime, Zhi was carefully trying some weight on her twisted ankle. The high heel shoe didn't help at all, but the huge pain she had felt at the beginning was almost gone. It was still sore, and she didn't think she could walk on her own, but she was almost positive that she would be able to in a couple of minutes.

"Come here," Adrien said, making a motion to lift her again.

"No!" she said, almost screeched. "I'm feeling better. I think I can walk."

Adrien lifted one eyebrow, suspiciously. "Want some help?"

Zhi nodded hesitantly. She placed her arm around Adrien's shoulders, getting some color on her cheeks, and he held her waist so that she could put some part of her weight on him.

They walked slowly through the corridor, leaving a trace of water behind. Looking at them right now, someone would wonder if they'd just come out of a pool. They stepped into the small elevator – Thank god there was one… Most old buildings in London are too narrow to have elevators. Zhi couldn't have climbed stairs with her foot sore like that! – they couldn't keep the weird crunch embrace because the elevator was too small, so they stood in front of each other, Adrien holding Zhi by her forearms and Zhi resting her hands on his arms. She didn't look up, feeling it would be worse. She had never felt more uncomfortable in her life. It was the longest elevator ride she ever made.

When the elevator finally stopped at Adrien's floor and they both sighed audibly, exchanging sheepish smiles afterwards, Adrien helped Zhi move to the front of his place and unlocked the door, assisting her inside.

"Sit here," Adrien said, pointing to the couch once the door was closed. "I'll be right back."

"What? No! I'll wet and stain your couch!" Zhi protested, starting to shiver when he let go of her. She had been so focused on his touch that she hadn't realized how cold she really felt.

"It's okay! I will clean it later! Let me just get you a towel!" He said as he took off his dripping tennis and socks and ran to what she figured was the bathroom.

He came back with a towel around him and another on his hands, finding Zhi in the same place he'd left her. "Are you deaf? Why are you still up? Your foot will get worse!" he groaned, placing the dry towel over her shoulders and trying to guide her to the couch.

She resisted, quivering hard. "No! I'm dripping wet, not to mention that I fell on a muddy puddle! I will ruin your couch!"

"You're freezing," Adrien noticed, looking at her with attention. Zhi Ruo nodded, pressing her hands against the towel and rubbing her arms. "Take off your shoes," he asked softly. She looked up at him with a questioning look, but, carefully and with his help, she did what he said, becoming slightly shorter without them. "Can you stand on your own?" he continued, concerned. "We need to get you in the bathtub. Your lips are turning blue."

Zhi knew that he was right when she didn't blush at the thought of Adrien taking her to his bathtub. She was freezing and needed to warm up, fast.

"I think I can stand on the bathtub alone," she answered, her voice very quiet.

He simply nodded and helped her reach the bathroom. "I will get some clothes from Lucie and leave them here for you to put them on, okay?" he replied, helping her sit in the closed seat of the toilet and turning on the bathroom heater.

"I'll be okay"– she smiled sincerely– "don't worry." Adrien nodded. "Where can I put this?" she added, showing him her purse.

He picked it up from her hands. "I will put it near the couch, outside."

"Okay," she agreed, smiling.

Adrien gave her a soft smile and moved out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Zhi sighed as she took off the rain hat from her head and the raincoat she borrowed from the shooting production. Once she got rid of them, she placed the towel over her shoulders trying to warm up a bit before taking the rest of her clothes off. That was when she felt the scratches on her elbow. She had totally forgotten about those with the pain on her foot. She studied them, and then the coat that she'd put on the floor. The pavement had torn the fabric where her elbow had been. That explained why her wound was so filled with mud. She breathed out, and carefully got up and called Adrien.

...

He came running, wearing a robe. "Are you okay?" he asked without a breath, searching for any signs that she wasn't hurt.

"Yes." He let out a small sigh of relief and placed Lucie's clothes on the empty part of the sink counter. "I just need a first aid kit if you have one, to use it after the shower. I need to clean this wound," she explained, showing him her elbow covered in dirt. Her towel fell off her shoulders and in an instinctive attempt of catching it, Zhi lost balance and fell over. She was lucky to fall in Adrien's direction; he managed to catch her.

They were gasping slightly when she noticed her hands were touching his chest warm skin. Zhi felt her face burn and suddenly she wasn't as cold as before. He must have thought the same, because his face became red too. She took her hands off of him so brutally that he almost lost her to the floor yet again.

"Ouch," she cried softly, feeling her ankle giving in.

"Careful, Zhi!" he asked, gripping his hands over her forearms like he'd done before, his embarrassment replaced with worry. He couldn't help but look down at her and his face became even redder than before. Her white shirt was dripping wet, and he could see _EVERYTHING_. "Oh my god," he said shutting his eyes close, but that image was engraved on his mind forever now. Somewhere inside, he was frustrated and mad that he didn't mind that at all.

Zhi let out a giggle and he peeked with one eye, focusing on her face, and not her lilac underwear.

"I don't think this is going to work," she said, still giggling.

Adrien smiled shyly. "What isn't?"

"Me taking a bath on my own," she said, simply. Then her eyes widened and her face became very red. "I'm- I-I'm sorry, that- that came out so VERY wrong!" It was his turn to let out a chuckle seeing how abashed she was. "I meant, maybe... I can take a shower with clothes on? And you stay near me, so that if I lose balance I don't' hit my head and die on your bathtub?" she explained quickly, looking at him expecting him to say no.

He breathed in and out, considering what she was asking him to do. Then, he nodded. It was okay… She was dressed. There wasn't going to be any less proper activities…

She nodded too and he helped her into the bathtub, with her clothes on. When she turned on the hot water, she let out a little moan, finally feeling warm and relaxed.

He forced himself not to engrave that sound on his head too, and not to look at her white t-shirt, or her naked legs, while the hot water ran through her body and clothes.

_Wait…_

"Is that a _pink_ skirt?" He asked dumbfounded.

Zhi looked at him, trying to frown, but miserably failing due to the water threatening to enter her eyes, "NO!" she said in a slightly mad but comical way. "It's salmon!"

Adrien laughed at her. Now that she'd pointed it out, he could see it was salmon. But the skirt had been muddy, and now that it wasn't – almost wasn't – anymore, it had looked like pink wet fabric.

"It's salmon, Adrien!" she repeated with a warning voice, only making him laugh harder. "It's not the same!"

He knew it wasn't the SAME! He was a fashion designer! But only for the sake of mocking her a little longer, he answered "Uh-Uh," and kept laughing at her face.

"Adrien!" she whined, frustrated. _Pink was still a difficult subject for her, apparently. _He thought as he amusedly revisited his wicked plan of making Ladybug's suit pink. "Please stop! I love this skirt…"

Adrien did as she asked, but he couldn't help keeping a mocking grin on his lips. "Okay, okay! I've stopped!" he said lifting his hands with his palms up facing her.

She let out a little "humph" as she closed the water and Adrien had to resort to all of his years as an actor not to burst into laughter again.

He helped her out of the tub and he sat her on her used towel that he'd given her a few minutes earlier and gave her a new one. "I'm going to leave now so you can change, okay?" Zhi nodded. "Call me when you're done so I can help you sit in the living room."

"Will do," she smiled thankfully and Adrien left the bathroom.

Once they were alone, they both sighed. That had been intense.

Zhi took off her clothes and dressed the new ones: a pair of black leggings and a light green t-shirt. She needed to ask Adrien for a sweater or a cardigan, but first she needed to attend her elbow wound. It looked worse than she thought. Her ankle wasn't hurting as bad as before, but the other wounds were itching a bit. In the end, Adrien never got to tell her where his first aid kit's was.

"Adrien?" she called. "I'm decent now. You can come in."

Adrien entered the bathroom again, with a sheepish smile.

"Can you give me your first aid kit?" Zhi asked again.

"Oh! Yes, of course!" he answered a little astounded. He opened a drawer and took the first aid kit out. "Come," he asked, offering Zhi his arm to hold. She took it and got up.

The bath had made wonders for her; she could walk almost without feeling pain. Adrien took her to the living room's couch and helped her sit. He sat beside her and started to open the first aid kit.

"Let me see it," Adrien said gently, while he searched for the right medicine to use on her wound.

"What? Why?" Zhi asked, in frightened shock.

"Didn't you want to take care of that wound?" he asked confused, looking at her.

"Yes... but you don't have to do it! I can do it myself!"

"I know you can, but I want to help," he simply said, like there was nothing else to talk about. "Now, let me see," he repeated. Zhi obliged, bewildered, and let him hold her arm to see her elbow. He looked dry, but his hands were cold as ice, giving her skin goose bumps around the place where he was touching her.

"Hum. This looks nasty," he said after a moment, looking at her elbow. "I'm sorry I pushed you," he looked her in the eye to show her he really meant it and then…

It hit her… He was feeling guilty for knocking her over and making her twist her ankle. That was why he was being so sweet and taking care of her.

"This is going to hurt a bit, Zhi," he warned calmly, yanking her off her bitter thoughts. She just wished she had battery on her Catphone so that she could talk to Chat. He would know what to say to make her feel better.

Adrien treated her elbow carefully and then her left hand palm. When he finished, he 'kissed it better' and said "all done," hitting her with a beautiful smile that made the monster in her stomach move.

"Thank you," Zhi answered softly, not daring to breathe.

"Now I'm going to take a shower myself, because I'm freezing!" he laughed, getting out of the couch.

"Sure" Zhi answered, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry for bothering you. You should have taken the shower first, not me."

"Oh! Rubbish. You were literally turning blue. I can handle the cold way better than you, Zhi! Have you forgotten?" he reminded her, still laughing. They had spent some great moments back in the day. He was obviously referring to when they had shot in plain winter, when Paris was full of snow. "Need anything else before I go?"

Zhi was still taken aback by the old memories they shared, but he didn't seem to notice. She cleared her throat and said: "Actually, you don't have a phone charger, do you?"

"Yes, I do. What port does your phone have?" He asked, walking to the door near the bathroom.

"No idea," Zhi laughed. "One is new, and the other is old… I would like to charge them if you have a charger for both."

Adrien came back with a small box filled with phone chargers and a plug extension. He plugged the extension and placed it near Zhi Ruo so she could reach it without moving out of the couch and gave her the little box. "Help yourself," he said with a smirk.

She carefully searched for the chargers she needed and put both phones to charge as soon as Adrien left to go to the bathroom.

Zhi sighed, feeling absolutely exhausted. Today had been… crazy.

First, she turned on her normal phone. Even though she felt guilty, Chat could wait a few more minutes. Alice must have been freaking out.

Indeed, Zhi was right. Alice had called several times after the call disconnected and had sent several text messages.

Worried that Alice might call the police next, Zhi called her best friend, who answered straight away.

"ZHI!?" she asked, with a slight panic in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," Zhi answered. "My phone died when I was talking with you. Only now I found a charger. Sorry," she explained, hoping it would calm her friend.

"Oh. What a relief…" Alice sighed, making Zhi chuckle.

"Al, shouldn't you be on your date?" Zhi question her, worried by the lack of background noise.

"Ah, yes…" she said shyly. "Well, I took your advice, actually. The restaurants were too crowded so we decided to order pizza and eat at my place."

"Oh…"

Before Zhi could say more, Alice rambled. "And before you joke around, I'm here with Simon _and_ Lucie!"

Zhi felt her enthusiasm waver a little, but it was better than no date at all…

"That's funny!" replied Zhi, giggling. "I'm here with Adrien." There was a moment of silence that made Zhi wonder if the call had disconnected again. "Al?"

"Sorry!" she quickly replied, sounding far away, as if she put the phone on speaker. "I- How-? You're _here_ with Adrien? Where's 'here'?"

"I'm at his place, with a twisted ankle and a scratched arm. It's actually a long story. I will tell you later," Zhi said, smiling at Alice's disbelief.

"Okaaaaaay," Alice answered awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner, Al. Just go back. We can talk tomorrow. I'm okay," she reassured her, misinterpreting Alice's weird answers.

"No, it's-it's fine. So… Ah…" Alice started. "Have you heard from your friend again?"

Zhi sighed. "Not yet, no. But it's my fault, my Catphone is also dead, so I couldn't say anything to him. I'm charging it now. That reminds me that I promised him I'd talk to him tonight, so I got to go. "

"Wait," Alice asked with slight confusion on her voice, "You're charging your Catphone at Adrien's house?"

"Yes, I'm charging my phone here-"

"Has he seen it?" Alice abruptly asked.

"Ahm~ No. He's in the shower now," Zhi answered frowning slightly.

"Oh…"

"Al, you're acting _very_ weird," Zhi said with an amused grin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong!" Alice quickly said. "Ahm! The pizza guy is here! Got to go! Bye!" and she ended the call.

Zhi looked at the phone in her hand surprised. Alice had sounded really weird on the phone. After a minute Zhi shrugged. She could ask her all about it tomorrow.

Zhi turned on her Catphone and saw Chat's answer:

[18h40 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Bug, I know you might mean it right now… But I don't want you to make promises if there's even a remote chance of them being empty. _

She could understand his wary answer… She had left for too long, but she really did mean it. Zhi knew it wouldn't be easy, and that she still had to figure out a way of taking Chat's hatred for Zhi Ruo Léi out of the picture, the same way she had to deal with the undeniable tension that she and Adrien created when they were together in a room, but she meant it. She was never going to leave again, because… she really did care.

Way more than she was letting him know. There was no way to deny it anymore…

She, Zhi Ruo Léi, was in love with Chat_Noir999, whoever he was behind the mask.

* * *

_**AAAANDDDD They're talking again! Yay! In BOTH ways! New and old feelings are starting to unravel! MUAHAHAH! **_

_**Don't forget to review, **_

_**And let the fun begin!**_

_**AuriMoon***_


	14. Operation Spots On, Claws Out

_**"Operation Spots On, Claws Out" **_

* * *

It had been two hours since her call with Zhi had dropped. Alice had tried to contact Zhi again, but her phone was turned off and Alice was beginning to worry a bit. Remembering the silly panic-attack Zhi had the night before because of a misunderstanding with her pen pal was the only thing that was stopping her from calling the police and starting a search party right now. She would give Zhi two more hours (plenty of time for her to find her way to a hotel and a charger and a plug if the phone had run out of battery), but if she hadn't heard anything by then, Alice was going to call the police for sure.

The bell rang and Alice straightened her black dress in front of the mirror one last time before running to the door. Simon had asked her a few minutes ago if Lucie could come too, so she was able to manage not to look disappointed at seeing them both once she opened the door.

It was raining cats and dogs outside and, even though Lucie and Simon had come under an umbrella, their clothes were slightly wet.

"Hi!" Lucie squeaked happily.

"Hi!" repeated Simon smirking at Lucie's enthusiasm, as Plagg would have. "Let's go?"

"Hello!" Alice smiled. "Ah… Yes. I was wondering if you guys preferred to stay in today. The weather is so awful outside… and you look like you could use a towel."

Lucie gazed at Simon who shrugged. She looked at Alice with a huge smile and said "Sure!"

Alice smile widened as she invited them in.

Once they were inside, safe from the crazy storm, Lucie gave Alice a bone-crushing hug and Simon gave her a kiss in the cheek, making her blush darkly.

"SO, should we order a pizza?" suggested Alice once they reached the living room.

"YES! Oh my god! It's been so long since I ate pizza!" said Lucie excitedly.

Simon looked awfully distracted, though. "You can order anything you like. It can be pizza, as long as it doesn't have pineapple on it," he said as he sat on the couch.

"Okay," Alice agreed happily, giving her house phone to Lucie. "You call the pizza guy and I will fetch some towels for you." Lucie nodded with a huge smile and Alice ran out of the living room to go get some towels for her friends.

"Ah- Mushrooms and ham, good for you?" Alice heard Lucie ask Simon. "Maybe some olives? I'm fine with anything too, really."

When Alice came back, the pizza had been ordered. Lucie and Simon were having a hushed conversation and they stopped talking as soon as she entered the room, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"There you go," Alice said, giving a towel to each of them, which they thanked her for.

Alice felt very uneasy for some reason and decided to cut to the chase. Plus, she was worried sick about her best friend, alone without a phone in the crazy rain, so she sighed and said with more exasperation than she wanted to: "Okay, let's cut the crap. What's wrong?"

Simon and Lucie blinked at her, not really remembering her saying something like that before.

Lucie was the first to recover. She cleared her throat and quietly asked: "Zhi isn't here, is she?"

Alice narrowed her eyes. "No. She isn't."

"Good." Lucie looked relieved, which made Alice frown. That was her best friend she was talking about! Noticing Alice's face, Lucie quickly added: "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! But before we talk to her,_ if_ we decide to really talk to her, we need to talk to you first."

"Okay, you have my full attention now," replied Alice arching an eyebrow, not really sure if she wanted to know more.

Lucie took a breath and started: "What do you know about Zhi's 'friend'? The one we talked about last night?"

Alice frowned. "Hum… Nothing much, really," she didn't understand where this was going and why would they have anything to do with Zhi's personal life, but seeing how uncomfortable they both looked she decided to play along for now. "Actually…" she let out a sigh. "They kinda started talking because of me." Lucie and Simon looked surprised and she explained: "I advised Zhi Ruo to start dating civilians, since she hadn't had luck with celebrities, and kinda made her join a dating app." Lucie and Simon traded a meaningful look that she ignored. "It went very poorly in the beginning, and she was about to delete her account when he started talking to her. They soon started talking every day… Why are you looking at each other like that?" she asked frustrated at being left out from the silent dialogue they were having now in front of her.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," said Simon, looking awfully worried. "It's just… Ah! I don't even know how to start!"

"Alice," Lucie interrupted Simon, looking at her very seriously. "Adrien started talking with someone in a dating app a few months ago and we think she might be Zhi," she finished blatantly.

Alice frowned. "But… That's crazy! No. That's impossible! How- Why would you think that?"

"We only figured it out today. Actually, Simon figured it out," said Lucie, looking at him so that he could explain how.

"Oh, god. Adrien is going to kill us," he let out, then he shrugged and continued. "Alice, I know you are familiar with the X brand. You know why?"

Alice's eyes widened in recognition of the name and her face became slightly pale. "No," she admitted gulping.

"Because Adrien is the designer, and you've been trading emails with me about the two dresses you want to order." Simon sighed before an astonished Alice that was starting to put the pieces together. "I didn't tell you it was me because Adrien wants the brand designer to remain a secret, but now it's different," he said blatantly as he pulled out a magazine she hadn't noticed he had with him and flicked through it until he found what he was looking for. He laid the magazine opened on the coffee table so that Alice could see. "This magazine is two months old. I was in a client's waiting room with nothing to do and opened it by chance."

Alice had picked up the magazine and was clinging to it with both hands, not believing her ears and eyes.

"That dress right there"– he continued –"is one of a kind and Adrien created it for his 'friend'. Can you explain why Zhi Ruo is the one wearing it?"

In the magazine there was a picture of her and Zhi Ruo the night they watched Mulan in the public theatre. Zhi was wearing the beautiful dress her pen pal had made for her to wear at the premiere… If what they were saying about Adrien was true…

Alice gulped, understanding why they looked so nervous and why they wanted to talk to her in private, without Zhi. "Oh my god," she breathed out, not knowing what to do. Zhi was going to be heartbroken beyond repair.

"I know," answered Lucie, giggling nervously.

"You don't understand!" Alice turned to her, in shock and slightly panicking. "She is in love with him!"

Lucie and Simon gaped at Alice. They did NOT expect that in the slightest!

Before anyone said anything else, Alice's phone started to ring. She immediately answered.

"ZHI!?" she asked, not managing to control the panic in her voice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay," Zhi answered. "My phone died when I was talking with you. Only now I found a charger. Sorry," she explained in a calming voice.

Alice wasn't freaking out because of that… but Zhi didn't have to know that for now. She managed to say: "Oh. What a relief…" and Zhi chuckled.

"Al, shouldn't you be on your date?" Zhi asked with concern in her voice.

_Oh my god, I have to calm down. _"Ah, yes…" Alice said shyly, glancing at Simon, and then at Lucie. "Well, I took your advice, actually. It's too stormy outside, so we decided to order pizza at my place."

"Oh…" Zhi said suggestively.

"Before you joke around, I'm here with Simon _and_ Lucie!" Alice almost yelled at the phone, making Lucie giggle and Simon frown, missing the point.

"That's funny!" said Zhi giggling. "I'm here with Adrien."

_What the..._

_Zhi Ruo was with Adrien?_

_Did they know too? _

_OH MY GOD!_

"Al?"

Alice quickly pulled the phone out of her ear and put it on speakers so that Lucie and Simon could hear it too.

"Sorry!" Alice replied, looking at Simon and Lucie meaningfully. "I- How-? You're _here_ with Adrien? Where's 'here'?"

Lucie's chin dropped and Simon's eyes almost popped out of their orbits.

"I'm at his place, with a twisted ankle and a scratched arm. It's actually a long story. I will tell you later," they heard Zhi say happily.

'Oh my god' mouthed Lucie, and Alice nodded, agreeing.

Remembering she hadn't answered, Alice let out an awkward "Okaaaaaay."

"You think they know?" whispered Simon.

"I don't know..." shrugged Alice who replied in the same whispering tone feeling completely lost.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your dinner, Al. Just go back. We can talk tomorrow. I'm okay," Zhi reassured.

"No, it's-it's fine. So… Ah… Have you heard from your friend again?"

Zhi sighed. "Not yet, no, but it's my fault. My Catphone is also dead, so I couldn't say anything to him. I'm charging it now. That reminds me that I promised I'd talk to him tonight, so I got to go. "

_Well, there was their answer._

"Wait," Alice asked confused. "You're charging your Catphone at Adrien's house?"

"Yes, I'm charging my phone here-"

"Has he seen it?" Alice interrupted abruptly, while trading meaningful looks with Simon and Lucie who were following Zhi's every word.

"Ahm~ No. He's in the shower now," Zhi answered simply.

"Oh…"

"Al, you're acting _very_ weird," Zhi said with a hint of a smile on her voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong! Ahm! The pizza guy is here! Got to go! Bye!" Alice replied quickly, finding an excuse to end the call as her breathing became uneven.

For a couple of minutes, they stood there, quiet, just thinking how crazy the whole situation was.

Simon was the first one to break the silence. "That was…"

"Enlightening?" finished Lucie.

"Oh my god," Alice repeated, letting herself fall on the nearest chair. "We have to tell them…" her eyes widened with fear. "Oh my god, how are we gonna tell them?"

"Calm down, Alice…" urged Simon, feeling Alice's stress but hiding it better. Adrien was his best friend and had fallen in love again with the girl that had crushed his heart several years ago. If they asked Simon, even if Zhi loved him like Alice had said, she didn't deserve a second chance with him. What she had done to him was just unforgivable. They could pretend nothing had happened for the sake of the group, but there was no way that girl was going to hurt Adrien again. Not if it depended on him.

Unknowingly, Alice was having the exact same thoughts. There was no way she was going to let Adrien near Zhi again.

"Well, I guess it's confirmed then," said Lucie, looking a little shaken. She didn't remember the facts and the only thing she was really worried about was how to fix this mess. "Maybe they can find a way back to each other?" she asked hopefully.

Alice and Simon responded fiercely at the same time:

"No way."

"Not in a million years."

They traded looks, more like glares, and the first to talk was Alice: "You're damn right. Zhi will never give a second chance to Adrien." She was aware that she might be ruining everything with Simon, but her best friend was worth more than a stupid crush.

Simon's eyes narrowed and he countered: "LOL, Zhi is the one who does _not_ deserve a second chance! Not after what she did!"

Alice let out a strangled exclamation, outraged. "After what SHE did? Simon, get a grip! Adrien CHEATED on her! I witnessed it!"

"What! No, he didn't!" Simon replied offended.

"That you know of!"

"I know he didn't! He would have told me!"

"Yeah, right! And risk you to be on her side? Zhi even went to his place, asking for an explanation and he shut the door on her face! Don't you dare defend your little friend, Simon!"

Lucie was watching the fight in awe; she had never seen Simon or Alice fight with anyone… Like ever! They were the most rational and calm people she knew, and yet, here they were.

Simon was looking more annoyed by the minute. "Zhi was the one who broke up with him by text, Alice! By text! That's just wrong! Did you expect him to open up his arms when she came back running?" he shook his head, looking at Alice's disbelief. "Plus, the following week or so, he found her making out with some random dude! AND THEN THE LIST OF DUDES JUST KEPT GROWING! IT APPEARED ON THE PAPERS, FOR CHRIST!"

"By text? What the hell are you talking about?" laughed Alice in a scornful way. "Zhi was madly in love with Adrien back then! She would have never broken up with him! When I showed her the video of Adrien cheating, she wanted him to EXPLAIN! SHE WENT TO HIS HOUSE, SURE THAT IT HAD ALL BEEN A MISTAKE! AND HE SHUT THE DOOR ON HER FACE!"

Simon blinked at Alice, not used to seeing a fire like this in her. It would have been hot, if he wasn't the person getting yelled at. They were both standing, facing each other with a threatening posture, and none of them remembered getting up.

Realizing, by the look in Lucie's and Simon's astonished faces, that she had lost control for a bit, Alice took a deep breath and continued in a calmer voice. "Zhi did make out with a guy a week later or so. She was drunk and hurt. She wanted to pay Adrien back. It was childish, but it wasn't nearly as close to what Adrien did to her. And it was one time. After that, Zhi's double tried to ruin her image with the help of a shady paparazzi. That's why Zhi doesn't even consider using doubles anymore." Alice looked down, feeling her voice shaking with the memories of the dark phase Zhi had. "You have no idea what it did to her. She was never the same, and she never will be. The part of Zhi Ruo that trusted everyone and that gave second and third chances is gone. For good."

"Do you still have the video?" asked Simon, unsure and feeling guilty. Was he doubting his best friend by asking for it?

"I do. Somewhere in my computer," Alice responded, her voice still shaking.

Before Simon could reply, the bell door rang.

"I'll go!" Lucie said awkwardly, leaving them alone to go and fetch the pizza.

Simon cleared his throat. "Do you mind showing it to me?" he asked quietly.

"Sure. I will try to find it," Alice's eyes became watery. She hated this kind of confrontation and she hated that she couldn't control the adrenaline tears threatening to leave her eyes. She turned away from Simon. "Just let me go get it."

"Wait," Simon cut in and reached for Alice's hand. She turned to him confused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk to you like that," he apologized, brushing a falling tear off her cheek with his free hand.

Simon had a soft spot for girls crying. He just couldn't seem to stand it and Alice had forgotten about that… She should have covered it up better. She didn't want his pity.

"I'm sorry I yelled too…" Alice said, trying to hold a sob.

Simon, frowned and sighed, pulling her into his arms in a protective hug. Alice let out a sob and buried her face on his chest, crying. She didn't even know what was she crying about, but it was harder to stop now that it had started! It was quite ridiculous, really.

Alice's thoughts were rudely interrupted by Lucie's long whistle. A very funny way of letting them know she had returned – by the looks on her face – with the pizzas. Alice and Simon broke their embrace awkwardly.

"I'm gonna go fetch my computer, see if I can find the video," said Alice, making a move to leave the room.

Just as he had done before, Simon whisked her hand with his and said: "Let's eat first. Sounds like I need a full stomach to face a video like that."

Alice smiled sadly and nodded, sitting with him on the sofa while Lucie started to share pizza slices between them.

They sat and ate quietly, lost in thoughts.

"I think something doesn't smell good," Lucie said suddenly, wearing a frown.

"No matter what you say, cheese always smells divine!" disagreed Simon, waving his cheesy pizza in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

Alice giggled, but Lucie frown stayed on her face.

"No, seriously…" she insisted, looking at them, and putting her half eaten pizza down. "Both of you were telling very different break up stories… I mean, it's normal that the two people in a break up have a slightly different perspective of the story, but yours sounded like two completely different versions rather than the same one with different points of view."

Alice frowned as she considered Lucie's words. She was right… Alice looked at Simon as he reached the same conclusion.

"You're right," granted Simon.

Alice agreed with a nod, looking slightly shocked.

"I think we need to get to the bottom of this. Can you get me a pen and paper, Alice?" Lucie asked.

Alice nodded again and ran upstairs to retrieve a notebook, a pen and her computer. She gave the first two to Lucie and opened her laptop on an empty spot at the coffee table.

"Okay, I wanna hear both versions so we can compare them," Lucie asked drawing a table in the notebook with two columns. On top of one of them she wrote 'Zhi's version' and on the other 'Adrien's version'. "Let's start."

"So, one day, while you guys were shooting, Eloise came to me and asked me to follow her. I said no, because you know nothing good comes from following Eloise anywhere." Lucie and Simon smirked and nodded. Eloise Bonnaire, the actress that played Alya in Miraculous, was a bitch. There really was no other word to describe her properly. She was nothing like her character, really. Think of a mix of Chloe's resolve in obtaining whatever she wants with a dose of Lila's cunning and manipulative behavior and you've got Eloise Bonnaire. "But she pleaded, saying it was important, so I did follow her." Lucie and Simon exchanged a frown. As Alice had stated, nothing good could come from Eloise 'urgent' business. "She was the one that showed me the video of Adrien cheating, from the surveillance cameras. How she got it, I don't know. And I knew that she was trying to break up Zhi and Adrien back then, but that was a video of Adrien cheating on Zhi! It didn't matter to me what were the reasons Eloise had to share it with me… I couldn't just hide it from my best friend. I had to tell her…" Lucie was writing in the notebook furiously and Simon looked a little shaken up. "When I finally did tell her and showed it to her, Zhi didn't believe her eyes. She had to go to Adrien's that very moment and ask him. In her head, there had to be an explanation for all of it. He would never do that to her, but when she got there, he told her he didn't want to see her ever again and shut the door on her face."

"Adrien told me Zhi came knocking on his door after she sent him the text," said Simon. "He told me that he was so hurt and mad at her for breaking up with him by text, that he told her that he never wanted to see her again."

"There is our first match on both stories," commented Lucie happily.

"Yes, well, Adrien got over himself a few days later," continued Simon, looking down at his hands. "He thought he had reacted poorly, and that if Zhi had come knocking on his door, she deserved a chance to be heard. Only that when he found her, she was making out with some other dude. It crushed him."

"If it is any consolation to you, the night that happened I had to take Zhi home, while she cried with guilt for using a random innocent guy in the name of revenge. And she didn't even know that Adrien had been watching."

There was a pause where Alice's words hung in the air.

Lucie breathed in and said: "Okay, so, just as I thought and from what I can gather now after hearing both stories, the only parts that are corresponding are the breaking up." She looked at them waiting for something. Alice and Simon exchanged looks, not sure of what to say and then looked back at Lucie waiting for her explanation, confused. She sighed frustrated. "Oh, really?"

Alice started to blush embarrassed at not seeing whatever Lucie was seeing, and Simon narrowed his eyes threatening.

"Fiiiiine! I'll explain! Don't kill me!" Lucie laughed, rolling her eyes and avoiding eye contact with Simon. "So, considering Adrien was caught on tape cheating on Zhi, we can't rule out the possibility that the story he told you might be a lie until we confront him about it," admitted Lucie, glancing apologetically at Simon who looked ready to argue. She beat him to it: "I'm not saying he lied! I'm having trouble seeing Adrien making up a story and lying about something like this. The Adrien I know would never! But we have to consider it! I mean, there is a videotape as evidence of it, Simon."

It was Alice's turn to look apologetic. Lucie gave her a reassuring smile, letting her know that none of this was her fault.

"Okay, let's say you're right. How do we know for sure?" Simon inquired apprehensively. "It's not like I want to go to my best friend and say 'Hi man, remember eight years ago when Zhi broke up with you by text? You didn't happen to make that up 'cuz you cheated on her and got caught on video, did you?'"

"Okay, hold your horses right there, Simon," Lucie said, motioning him to calm down. "I'm just saying we have to _consider_ it, not that I _believe_ it."

"But I've got the video!" said Alice, with a very weak voice, pointing at the computer.

"I know you do," Lucie smiled. "We will watch it in a bit," she reassured. "But don't forget that Adrien supposedly received a text from Zhi, too." Alice and Simon looked confused. "What if he really did receive it?"

"I'm telling you that Zhi would never–"

"And Adrien would never cheat on Zhi, Alice," Lucie cut in before Alice had the time to finish her sentence. "That's exactly my point."

Alice and Simon shared a perplexed look that almost made Lucie laugh. Almost.

Seeing Lucie's amusement, Simon asked sounding frustrated: "Could you be more specific? What's your point exactly?"

"My point is that, _maybe_, it was all a misunderstanding," Lucie concluded smiling widely. "Zhi would never break up with Adrien and Adrien would never break up with Zhi, or do anything to make her want to break up with him. This coming from the closest people to them: You. So… How did this happen? How did they break up? It was never going to happen if it depended on them..." Alice and Simon blinked and Lucie became exasperated: "Oh, come on! Keep up with me! What if Zhi never actually sent that message? But Adrien received it anyway? And what if Adrien never cheated on Zhi? But there's video proof that he did?"

"You're sounding insane, you know that right?" Alice asked blatantly.

"Too many Miraculous Ladybug movies," agreed Simon, making Alice giggle.

"I'm serious, guys!" persisted Lucie, placing her hands on her waist.

"There's a video of Adrien cheating," sighed Simon, looking more tired than ever. "I think that pretty much proves what he did."

"Or not!" gasped Alice, her eyes widening.

"What?" asked Simon, bewildered, while Lucie smiled triumphantly.

"Listen!" Alice turned to Simon. "She might be right!" she then turned to the computer, unlocked it and searched for the video on it, while she said: "Back in the day Zhi was accused of making out with a new guy every day. You said it so yourself: It was on the news!" she let out a small victory squeal when she finally found the video. She waved Lucie to come and watch it. "But it turned out it wasn't her. Well, in this video Adrien's face is barely visible. I would swear it was him, but it could have been his double." Once Lucie was able see the screen, Alice pressed 'play'.

It wasn't pretty. Alice hated that video with all her might. It started with Adrien cornering a girl with curly hair covering her shoulders, and then proceeding to snog her against the wall. It was almost pornographic.

"The technique Zhi's double used is definitely here," mumbled Alice looking disgusted.

Alice was right. You could never actually see Adrien's face. Not completely. There was a part when he tilted his head to give the girl more access to his mouth where you could see a bit of it, but there were no indicators – other than the snogging – that it wasn't him.

This person moved exactly like Adrien. No wonder, Alice hadn't thought twice about it…

"I've had enough," said Simon, looking like he was in pain, moving to stop the video.

"Wait!" asked Lucie before he stopped it. "Can you zoom the video on his face?" she asked Alice.

Alice nodded and did what Lucie asked. She returned to the part where there was a slight glance at his face and zoomed in, but there wasn't much to see anyway. The video was slightly old and from a vigilance camera. Alice and Lucie exchanged a disappointed look.

"It looks like Adrien," sighed Alice. "But it could also be his double, from this angle."

Lucie and Simon nodded. Simon looked relieved that he wasn't the only one thinking that.

"Okay, so we didn't find anything yet, but we need to," Lucie said energetically. "We have to get to the bottom of this. For the sake of the two of them!"

"But how?" asked Alice, looking a bit terrified again.

"First, we can't tell them anything. Not yet at least," Lucie warned.

"I agree," said Simon, and Alice looked like she could breathe again. She couldn't stand the thought of Zhi finding out her pen pal was Adrien before they had been able to fix this mess.

"Can you send us that video, Alice?" asked Lucie, frowning with concentration. Alice nodded promptly. "Homework, guys: re-watch that video as many times as needed until we find a clue. There must be something we are missing."

"Okay, but what if we don't find anything?" asked Simon raising an eyebrow. "They'll eventually figure it out! Zhi is in Adrien's house texting Chat for all we know! We are shooting Miraculous in less than two weeks. What happens when Zhi notices the X tag on the wardrobe? Or when Adrien sees her 'catphone-thingy'?"

"X tags?" asked Alice, curiously.

"Yes, the only way Thomas managed to get Adrien to participate in the movie as an actor was by offering him the Wardrobe Director position," explained Lucie.

Alice's chin dropped. "Wow! That's… Amazing! But Simon is right! What if Zhi sees the tag? Oh my god! They'll figure it out right away!"

"That's exactly my point!" Simon said, running his fingers through his hair, discouraged.

"So, we have a deadline," shrugged Lucie. "Don't look so panicky, both of you!" she chuckled. "We'll see what we can find and if we don't find any clue worth following by the time the shooting is due to start, we can simply make Adrien watch the video and see his reaction." Simon frowned at Lucie, and she smirked at him. "We can also ask Eloise if she saw anything else that day." It was Alice's turn to frown. "It's not likely that she will help much, but by then there won't be much we have to lose, right?"

"I guess…" Alice shrugged, looking at Simon with uncertainty.

"Let me just add something else to our homework tasks," Simon urged. "We can't let them find out that they are actually talking to each other again. If they do find out before we untangle this mess, it will definitely be the worst thing that can happen. Needless to say that no one else can know about what we're doing here. I think you should go home and make sure that they don't find out tonight, Lucie."

"This is so cool! I feel like a real spy!" Lucie laughed, walking away to fetch her jacket and wallet so that she could leave to check on Zhi and Adrien. She took one more bite of her half-eaten slice of pizza before cheerfully declaring "Operation 'Spots On, Claws Out' is officially on the move!"

* * *

_**Hope you liked the chapter! Let me know your thoughts? (Other words for "review, please, please, please?")**_

_**Sorry for the long wait! And even more sorry that it will continue! I have no clue when I will post again, but probably just around late September, early October, maybe. I know, it's sad. And it hurts to pause a story like this... leaving it kinda hanging. But I can't help it. Life is happening... I do promise I won't abandon this story, tho, so don't fret ^^**_

**_If you miss me and my posts, I suggest you try some other story written by me? Maybe a one-shot or, if you're up for some real twists and intricate plots, try "Spots Off, Claws Out"! I can't say it's the same kind of story as this one, but I promise you won't regret reading it! ^^_**_**Love you all***_

_**AuriMoon**_


	15. With some luck

**_Hello, dear readers!_**

**_I'm back!_**

**_I'm sorry it took me so long to update, but hey: I've finished my Master degree! I'm officially a Master now! xD (Gosh that sounds so weird!)_**

**_I will be having more time to write now! I probably won't update weekly, but you can probably expect me to post 2 chapters each month. That's reasonable!_**

**_Enjoy the chapter! And don't forget to review! (Purretty purrease!)_**

**_AuriMoon*_**

* * *

**With some luck**

"Help yourself." Adrien smirked down on Zhi, but she barely looked at him, already searching for a suitable charger for her phone. He mentally slapped himself and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaning his back against it. After a moment, he let out a long frustrated sigh.

_What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he being so nice to Zhi all of a sudden!? _

Repressing a shiver, Adrien started to strip off his robe and wet jeans to get in the shower.

The same shower where Zhi had held on to him in order not to fall, just a few moments ago.

The same shower Zhi had stood, with hot water running through her silky hair, and her very see-through white T-shirt, and her very lilac lace bra, and her salmon fitting skirt and-

_Oh, dear god, please make it stop! _

Adrien rubbed his face with both hands and glared at the shower as if it had anything to do with the sinful thoughts clouding his mind and his judgment.

Yes, she was beautiful, and nice, and caring, and cute, and freaking hot, but she was the same person who had broken his heart years ago. She was not to be trusted with her fake smile and twisted ankle!

Okay, now he was being unfair, she did have a real twisted ankle and he had caused it, but that didn't mean he had to suddenly change his mind about her. He would _not_ have any kind of _nice_ thoughts about Zhi**. **

Period.

That was _final_!

Grunting gracelessly, he entered the shower and turned on the water, letting it's warmth run over his head and cold skin. Only then did he start to relax.

Today had been a disaster. The only good thing about it had been his Lady finally texting him back.

_That was the girl he should have been having thoughts about! That was the girl he wanted in his shower! _

_Not Zhi Ruo Lèi! _

For a moment he wondered whether _she_ would be as beautiful as Zhi. He highly doubted that, but that really didn't matter. Because looks don't really matter, if you truly care for someone.

She could be the ugliest girl in the world for all he cared. Not being able to hear from her in such a long time had made that clear enough. And even though he had disagreed with her, she had been right back then. He could see that now: _Who_ she was was the only thing that mattered. And she was a girl who he couldn't get out of his mind. She mattered to him.

As if she had been summoned, his phone beeped the Red Thread notification sound and he hurried out of the shower. A second notification rang making him speed the process and grab his towel.

When he was relatively dry, he opened up the conversation.

[18h40 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Bug, I know you might mean it right now… But I don't want you to make promises if there's even a remote chance of them being empty. _

[20h42 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm sorry I didn't talk sooner. My catphone was out of battery._

He had figured that much, but he still felt a sigh of relief leaving his mouth. She didn't desert him this time. Not yet.

[20h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I understand why you think I'm making empty promises. I do. But I'm not. And I will find a way of proving it to you. Even if it takes a month, or a year, or even forever. Because that is how long I intend on being here. _

What if she did mean it? What if she never left?

_Forever_.

Adrien's heart fluttered with hope and joy just from reading her words. That's the kind of effect Ladybug had on him. Yes, Zhi was gorgeous, but his heart only beat for Buggzhinette.

_Not entirely true…,_ whispered a little voice in his head, _Didn't you feel your heart racing a few moments ago, just by staring at your empty shower?_

_Yes!, _he thought back exasperated, _Yes, he had! But that was_ _**not**_ _a loving heartbeat! That was… lust! Maybe mixed with a little bit of anger and frustration! _he said to himself, ignoring the part of him that was silently mocking his little in-burst.

Since the voice in his head stood quiet, he carefully re-read her text again.

_Forever._

He wanted to believe her so badly it hurt. Should he share his insecurities with her?

Oh, where is Lucie when you need her!? She would know what to do!

Lucie had been his rock after his Lady deserted. She had tried to explain to him why the girl had left, to put himself in her shoes, describing endless scenarios to make him understand what might have been happening inside his penpal's head… Lucie had helped him not to give up.

Okay, maybe he should wait for Lucie to come home before answering?

Yes. That was a good idea!

His Lady could wait just for a little while…

Back to the present, Adrien started to get dressed and inhaled some air, trying to calm himself down. Zhi Ruo Léi, his yesterday's nightmare, was sitting in his living room with a twisted ankle. His father was out of town and his 'lil sister' should have arrived by now, but hadn't yet.

It was one thing having dinner and game night with friends and Zhi _happening_ to be there.

_It was another thing_ entirely being alone with an in-need-of-help Zhi, because of her foot! But that was kinda taken care of now... What on earth was he going to do in an empty room with her? At night!? Should he ask her if she wanted him to take her to a hotel or Alice's house?... She was hurt. Maybe going to a hotel alone wouldn't be such a great idea… She could fall and no one would be there to help her. And she did mention that Alice wasn't home and she didn't have the keys.

Should he ask her if she wanted to stay the night? It would be a kind gesture, but would she read more into it than just kindness? He didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

Well, he could decide that later, Lucie could have something to say on the matter too. Plus if it was Lucie inviting Zhi to stay the night there would be fewer complications.

But he had to figure out something to do with Zhi, while waiting for Lucie to come back. He had to restrain himself from answering Buggzhinette too… He had to find something to focus on.

_Wait. _

_Zhi is a girl, right?_

Was it too farfetched to ask _her_ for advice?

She was his ex, but they had dated a very, very long time ago… And she looked like she was trying to make amends… It could be a good thing to get a second opinion.

He pulled his shirt over his head and looked at himself in the foggy mirror, clueless as to what to do.

Putting on his brave face, he decided he was going to ask her. There was nothing to lose, right? With some luck (very likely), she could prove to be a better love adviser than she was a girlfriend. And let's face it, he was in desperate need of advice.

He was going to ask her, but not right away… He should warm-up before asking for love advice to his ex-girlfriend. He should do something to make both of them feel comfortable. But _what_ should he do to make both of them comfortable enough for him to have the guts to ask _her_ for _love_ counsel?

Then, it came to him, with a loud growl from his empty stomach.

_Food! (and maybe some wine?)_

He was starving, he had barely had lunch, and Zhi should be hungry as well, since she had just come from shooting! He would cook them dinner. People bonded better over food! The wine was just some extra precautions for what he was about to do.

He sighed with relief. The prospect of being alone with Zhi didn't sound so threatening now that he had a plan.

Without giving himself time to rethink everything, he left the steaming bathroom, only to find how silly all his worries had been.

Zhi Ruo was sleeping on his couch, in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. _Is she sleeping on top of her phone? _He suppressed a chuckle with the sight of the charger cable coming out of the gap between her belly and the sofa. His mischievous side, entertained the idea of waking her up just for the fun of it. He shook those thoughts away. She must have been exhausted. He hadn't been in the bathroom for that long and she had fallen asleep.

_Well, so much for asking her for love advice. _

He studied her, unashamed. Zhi was sleeping on her belly, with one of her arms up, and the other following the same path as the charger. She was sleeping on the top of her arm and he momentarily worried about it: no blood circulation tingling was what she would be looking at in a very short period of time. But there was nothing he could do for her besides waking her up, and she looked like she could use some rest. For the first time that night he noticed how she had deep bags around her eyes. Was she having trouble sleeping at night?

He unconsciously sat on the coffee table, still staring at her. Her peaceful face was smashed against the sofa, her mouth slightly open in a weird O, and he wondered how was it possible for her to still look attractive.

Trying yet again to stop thinking about Zhi like that, his eyes strolled down her body. He felt his cheeks warm up when she let out a slight moan and moved into a slightly more comfortable position, turning to her side and facing him, releasing her hand from the weight of her body and bending her other arm into a pillow position below her head.

The thought of her waking up and finding him studying her like that, set Adrien's heart to a racing mode. But when she didn't, his eyes focused on the white skin of her stomach that was now slightly uncovered due to her change of position. He quickly looked away, focusing his attention _anywhere_ else. His eyes wandered on her face again. She looked way more comfortable now. Her face wasn't smashed on to the sofa, but resting on her arm, and her mouth was closed, with this hit of a smile, as if she was mocking him. Suddenly he couldn't look away. She sighed and her lips just slightly parted, leaving him with an impossible desire to capture them with his.

_I did __**not**_ _just think that. _

_I must be losing my mind._

_No! There is actually a very easy explanation for this: I'm a healthy young man and she is just incredibly beautiful. Other men, friends, or even that know nothing about her, probably feel the desire to kiss her sometimes too! _

Adrien's face was suddenly burning red with those thoughts invading his mind, so, before he could do something stupid that he would most definitely regret, he jumped off his seat and strolled to the kitchen to start cooking dinner.

Zhi Ruo being asleep was a good thing because he didn't have to try and talk to her, he said to himself. He didn't have to do anything to make her feel welcome in his home, and he didn't have to pretend like he cared. Because he didn't care.

He also couldn't ask her for advice, but that was okay. He would stick to his original plan and wait for Lucie. That would be better and safer. He didn't want to think like that, because he was trying to give Zhi a chance, but he couldn't help but wonder if she would give him bad advice on purpose. It sounded like something someone like her would do. He had decided a long time ago that, from Zhi, he could and should expect anything.

He looked over the ingredients he had in his fridge and decided to cook some carbonara. It was easy and delicious. He filled a pan with water and let it boil, while he cut the pancetta into tiny cubes. He then inverted the tagliatelle in the boiling water and started to fry the pancetta. Cooking wasn't his favorite task in the world, but he was good at it and he was focused on making good food instead of wondering what the lips of his long lost nemesis would taste like after all these years or what would happen if he said something wrong again to Buggzhinette. So, _right now_, cooking was a lifesaver and he sure took his time.

Once the dinner was ready, he ate alone. Zhi was better off asleep. She could eat when she woke up.

When he finished eating it was nearly ten at night.

Lucie wasn't home yet and he was starting to worry that she didn't even warn him she wasn't coming for dinner, so without another thought, he picked up his phone and called her.

She answered right away, sounding slightly out of breath.

"Hi Adrien! Is everything okay?"

He chuckled slightly, "That is my line, Luce! Shouldn't you be home by now?"

"I'm coming! Just caught a cab!" she said apologetically, "Wait! Zhi didn't tell you that I was with Simon and Alice just now?"

Adrien looked at the back of the couch where Zhi was asleep and suppressed a chuckle again. Zhi had called Alice and Alice probably had told her she was with Lucie, but then Zhi had fallen asleep, so the message never got to him.

"No, she didn't. Zhi fell asleep while I was in the shower!" he explained, amused.

"Oh!" he heard Lucie say with caution in her voice, "Well, I'm sorry I didn't say anything to you directly, then. Is she awake now?"

"No, but wouldn't it be funny if I just grabbed a pan and a spoon to drum in her ears and scare the sleep out of her?" he asked with an evil smile that could easily be heard in his voice.

"NO!" was Lucie's sudden answer, "ah- I mean! Wait for me!" she said awkwardly chuckling, "I have to watch that!"

Adrien laughed at her answer, "Alright, then!"

"I'll be there in ten, okay?"

"Sure, Luce. See you soon," he added.

"Bye!" she replied.

Lucie arrived shortly after, only to find Adrien sitting in an armchair, gripping his sketchbook and pencil and Zhi fast asleep on the couch.

"Hey" she whispered, closing the door after entering, "So, no pan and spoon?"

Adrien smiled at her and visibly relaxed, "Hey," he replied in the same tone, putting down his sketchbook and pencil on the coffee table, "Didn't feel right doing it. It is kinda my fault she has a twisted ankle…"

Lucie nodded and studied Zhi for a second, "What the hell happened?" she asked amused, pointing at the girl.

"Short version: It was raining cats and dogs, neither of us were looking where we were going, our paths crossed and I accidentally kinda knocked her down," he smiled sheepishly at Lucie and rubbed his neck uncomfortably, "She twisted her ankle and I felt bad leaving her in the rain alone, so I brought her home. Lent her some of your clothes. Hope you don't mind."

Lucie let out a light snort, while she took off her raincoat, "Of course I don't! I must say I'm surprised you brought her here. I'm also surprised she let you."

"I didn't give her much of a choice." He grinned mischievously, which made Lucie's eyebrow pop up with interest. Adrien chuckled suavely and said with a more serious tone, "Never mind that. I need your help."

"Okay, sure, what is it?"

"Buggzhinette sent me a text today and I can't wait to reply" he said excitedly, getting up from the chair, and totally misinterpreting Lucie's shocked face, "But I need you to be my filter so that I don't scare her off again," he kept going, "If you came in any later I would totally ask Zhi her advice! That is how desperate I feel! Lucie... Are you okay?"

Lucie had gone considerably whiter, with that thought. What would have happened if Zhi hadn't fallen asleep!? If Adrien had asked her advice, they would have found out and everything would be lost again. He must have been really desperate to even consider asking Zhi for help! But that only showed he was starting to trust her again, and he couldn't! Not yet! Otherwise, if things weren't properly explained he would see everything as a betrayal! Next thing she had to do with Alice and Simon was to create a contingency plan. They had been lucky today.

"Lucie?" Adrien gently shook her shoulder, worried.

She cleared her throat and tried to pull herself together.

"Ahm, yes! Everything is okay."

"You look pale. Are you sure?"

"Yes!" She answered more energetically, "I just remembered I have a project presentation tomorrow and did not prepare as well as I should." she quickly said, dismissing the matter, "Look, Adrien, of course I will help. But I think first we should put Zhi in one of the bedrooms so she could sleep more comfortably."

Adrien shrugged, "She is lucky she isn't sleeping on the floor." He cackled, dismissing Lucie's request.

Lucie frowned, "Adrien, first, that is very rude of you and you can trash talk Zhi all you want, but you can't fool me into thinking you actually mean it" she said pointing a finger at him, making an effort not to smile, "second, I would feel more comfortable helping you without Zhi in the same room."

Adrien looked at Lucie for a moment, considering his options and then smirked, "I guess you have a point there," he said, not bothering to specify what 'point', grabbing her hand and walking her to his room.

"What are you doing? Where are we going?" Lucie asked in bewilderment.

"I'm going to my room so we can talk without Zhi." he answered innocently.

Lucie released her hand from his, midway, and crossed her arms over her chest, "Seriously?"

"Don't give me that look, Luce. She is not going to sleep in my bed" he warned, not understanding what was so bad about sleeping on a couch.

"It's decided, then! We put her in mine!" she said turning around to where they'd come, "pick her up, please. I will carry her stuff and open the door for you" she informed, starting to collect what she figured were Zhi's stuff. She quickly figured out where her infamous catphone was and managed to put it inside Zhi's bag without waking her up and without Adrien noticing. Only then could she breathe a sigh of relief. But it wasn't over yet. If it was up to her, they wouldn't find out. Not tonight or tomorrow, at least.

* * *

First, she thought she was dreaming, but then she realised she wasn't: Zhi's sleep had been disturbed. Why, she couldn't tell. It wasn't the bed: she was very warm and comfortable… "_-wish I could believe,_" she heard a male's voice whisper as her conscience wavered in between the dream world and the real one. "_-not desperate-_" some more imperceptible mumbles. She tried to tell the guy to shut up because she was the one desperate for some sleep! But all that came out was a low moan that went unnoticed by everyone but her, because soon after she heard a girl answering in the same whispering tone, "_I don't think you need to be mad, but welcoming her like nothing ever happened does sound a bit desperate,_" there was a pause in the dialogue in which Zhi started to drift off to sleep again, but then, "_if she wants to prove it to you, I say let her prove it to you. It is time that she does something to earn your feelings_" another pause, "_let's get out of here and let Zhi sleep._"

Once she heard the door closing, Zhi's stupid brain started to think. Instead of sleeping.

Soon, she was wide awake. She looked around but did not recognize the room she was in or how she had gotten there. The only reason she did not freak out was because she recognized the voices of the people that had just left the room. Adrien and Lucie. Feeling too tired to even question anything else, she tried to go back to sleep, but her mind had other plans. Her memories started to flood in.

She had fallen asleep on Adrien's couch after putting her phone to charge and talking to Alice, and…

Her Catphone beeped, taking away the little sleepiness she had left.

Zhi opened up her eyes and started frantically looking for her belongings, her heart pounding in her chest. How long had she been asleep!? She had to answer Chat! She didn't want to make him wait longer than he had already!

* * *

Lucie looked uncomfortable at the sight of Adrien's hopeful smile, "Forever is a very long time, Adrien…"

His smile wavered, "I know. Like I said, I know that it's probably an empty promise… But I can't help but hope for it to be true."

They sat on the couch where Zhi had been sleeping before, while Lucie thought of what to say. Forever _could_ work for them. But that would only be possible if operation 'Spots On, Claws Out' was successful. Zhi and Adrien were perfect for each other, she knew that much. It was almost like destiny was mingling with their lives! Constantly bringing them together, one way or another. If the first time, 8 years ago, hadn't proven it, this time did! I mean, the way events rolled around those two, it was like a star-crossed love story! Fated romance! Like the odds didn't apply to them. And Lucie had seen them together yesterday. The chemistry was still there even if they believed they were in love with someone else. Now, she had to stall. That was the only way to fix this. Her friends had been wronged, but had believed a lie for so long that mere words wouldn't fix anything. They needed some kind of proof and she was going to find it.

She sighed, "Let me read that again!" She asked for his phone with a hand movement and he quickly obliged, placing the phone on her palm.

[20h43 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I understand why you think I'm making empty promises. I do. But I'm not. And I will find a way of proving it to you. Even if it takes a month, or a year, or even forever. Because that is how long I will be here: Forever. _

"What would _you_ answer?" She asked, pensive.

"Maybe something in the lines of: I love you, and then beg her not to leave me again- JUST KIDDING, Luce!" He laughed at her 'are-you-demented-?' expression.

Lucie half sighed, half chucked as her hand flew to her chest, "For a second there, I thought I was going to have you checked into a mental institution," she paused for a second, "or maybe have you write a guide of 'What not to say to women' or 'how to cause a very awkward situation!" causing him to chuckle.

"Couldn't really argue with any of those points. This girl is definitely making me crazy." Adrien sighed, and answered her first question seriously, "Okay, how about: 'I want to believe you, but can't make myself do it'?"

Lucie thought for a moment, and then she nodded, handing him his phone back, "That sounds good, actually. Maybe add in the beginning a 'how do you plan on doing that?' as in 'why don't you prove it to me'?"

Adrien took the device and started writing the reply.

[22h14 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _How do you plan on doing that? I will be totally frank, I want to believe you, but I'm finding that hard to do. _

Lucie nodded, satisfied, while in her head she was rethinking everything. Zhi would only answer tomorrow, probably. With some luck she might even wait longer to answer, buying more time for the operation to unfold.

He interrupted her line of thinking, "Don't you think that sounds a bit cold? And harsh?." He asked abruptly while he reread the text, irrational fear creeping in.

Lucie sighed, "It's not cold, it is serious. I think it's important that you make her see that you're done with her playing with your feelings," rethinking and cursing what she had just said, she quickly added, "not that I think she did it on purpose, you know, staying away for so long… I think she was probably doing what she thought was best, without the intention of hurting you," Lucie had to make him take a stand in their weird relationship and at the same time, not compromise the way Zhi's persona looked in his eyes, "but she did hurt you, and she has to know and own up to that."

He gave her an unsure nod, still grasping the phone. And that was when Lucie realized that this was going to be a long night for him, because he wouldn't be getting an answer soon. Zhi was asleep, and if after a few minutes he was already overthinking it, Lucie knew it would only get worse. She had to do something.

"It's late. Why don't you sleep and we will continue this tomorrow?" She asked, holding his hand for comfort.

He just looked at her like she had said the stupidest thing he'd ever heard, "How am I supposed to sleep after sending a text like this, Luce?"

"I'm just saying that she might be asleep, and, because of that, not answer. Better if you just let it go for today…"

"No, she is not sleeping, she turns off her phone when she sleeps. The text was delivered, just not seen yet."

Of course the phone wasn't off! _She_, Lucie, hadn't turned it off! Lucie cursed under her breath. What could she do to ease his conscience!?

"Okay." She sighed deeply, "Look, Adrien," she started, motioning to take the phone of his hands, "Let's do something while we wait, watch a movie, play cards, something," _Even if it takes all night, which it probably will, _she thought to herself, "this way, you can stay away from the temptation of sending another text, okay?"

He sighed and was about to let her have his phone, when a new notification came in.

To Lucie's surprise, it was Buggzhinette's.

Was Zhi awake? That was dangerous.

Adrien happily read the response and once he had finished his eyes were doubled in size and his breathing compromised. Lucie's curiosity got the best of her and she came over his shoulder to read it too.

[22h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Want some proof that I'm serious? How about I take you up on that suggestion of yours and meet you somewhere? You think that's good enough for now? ^^_

_Crap. Crap. Crap. _Was all Lucie could think of.


	16. Oblivious

**_This is the last chapter of the year! It's pretty big and I really like it! So we finish the year in a good way! _**

**_I hope you like it too! I know I had a blast writing it! _**

**_Happy Mew Year, Dear Miraculers!"_**

* * *

_**Oblivious**_

[22h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Want some proof that I'm serious? How about I take you up on that suggestion of yours and meet you somewhere? You think that's good enough for now? ^^_

Lucie's mind was racing, searching for something plausible to say under Adrien's puzzled look. Things were escalating on a crazy level. Should she tell him to take on Zhi's offer? That was so risky! On the other hand, it would look very suspicious to him if she simply told him to not accept, right? Lucie panicked a bit when Adrien started typing with confidence on his phone.

"What are you writing?" She asked, trying not to show her discomfort.

He quickly finished and showed it to her.

Lucie's eyes widened and fixed on Adrien's after she read what he'd written.

Adrien chuckled, "Don't you look surprised!?"

"Impressed is more like it." She replied, "What did you need my help for, exactly?" She asked playfully.

"Does that mean this is good?"

"It's perfect. You said yes, but still held the upper hand! Feel free to send it!"

And so, he did.

[22h41 Today]

Chat_Noir999: You know _I'd never say no to that. I've made that clear many times now. But I've accepted a very big job, so for the next two months my life will be very… let's say, complicated. On the bright side, as if by fate or something, my life will be 'complicated' in Paris, so I will probably be able to meet you at some point. I just can't really tell you when yet. _

"Have you ever thought about asking her who she is?" Lucie asked abruptly.

Adrien chuckled bitterly, "I ask her every day."

Lucie's eyebrows popped up, "Really? And she never answers?"

"Oh no, she answers." Adrien didn't like this subject at all. It made him more aware that his Lady either lied to him or ignored this question in particular.

Before he noticed the shock on Lucie's face, he received his answer.

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Oh, right. Sure! I was thinking more in the near future, but I totally understand that you are a busy person. _

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _It's not like I'm super free either. Well, just let me know if and when you can meet up with me. _

"Oh, you've hit a nerve," said Lucie, unable to control herself after reading the texts.

"Why do you say that?"

Lucie rolled her eyes at him, and smirking she said, "Aren't you the most oblivious boy I know!?"

"No! I'm not!" he let out a bit taken aback, which made her laugh softly.

"Yeah, yeah, back to the topic of your identities-"

"Wait, I need to answer Ladybug first!" He said evasively, looking back at his phone again. She let him think and after reading his answer and giving thumbs up, he sent it.

[22h50 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I will let you know when I'm free, Bugaboo._

"So, you ask her everyday and she answers?" Lucie returned to the topic that was making her hang on the hedge of her sit, he simply nodded looking a bit defeated. She pressured, "How come you still don't know who she is, then?"

"Because she is posing as someone she is not."

Lucie's heart started drumming in her chest. She was almost certain of where this was going and she couldn't believe it. "Who is she _posing_ as?"

Adrien looked at her for a moment, clearly bothered by the subject. He swallowed dry and, as if he expected her to mock him for liking a catfisher, he answered defensively, "She claims she's Zhi."

Lucie's face turned to a mask of horror and then shock, as if all her nightmares were in front of her. "Zhi as in-"

He simply nodded and Lucie had to sit.

He quickly added, "I know how it looks! Anyone lying about their identity shouldn't be trusted, but she is good. She is insecure about who she is, that's all! I think she is afraid that I won't like her real self… we talked about this before, Luce!"

"Yeah, but you never told me that she said she was Zhi!"

"Because that is totally irrelevant!"

"How is that totally irrelevant?" Lucie answered with frustration and a bit of anger she didn't realize she was feeling.

"Look, don't be angry with me or her, please. She is harmless and she is part of the reason I can even face Zhi, now!" Lucie's face went from frustration to disbelief, emotions that Adrien totally misinterpreted.

Before he could say anything else, his phone beeped. He glanced carefully at Lucie who was simply shaking her head, and then he read the text.

[23h00 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I know it's not super late, but with everything that happened today I'm feeling super exhausted, so I'm gonna go sleep now. Goodnight, Kitty. I'm really happy we're taking again._

He smiled, momentarily forgetting the argument he was having with Lucie.

[23h03 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Goodnight, LB* Sweetdreams_

Adrien looked at Lucie who was staring at him with incredulity and sighed deeply, tired of all of it. He sat on the couch, letting Lucie be with her thoughts for a moment.

Suddenly, her head popped up, looking at him with a hint of amusement on top of all the rest, "Did she ask you who you are?"

Adrien lifted his eyebrows, "She has." Lucie let out a snort.

"What did you answer?" she asked, clearly trying not to burst into laughter.

"I answered the truth." Adrien shrugged, "Not that it mattered a lot, she never believed me."

Lucie could not handle herself for one second more. She burst into fits of laughter, to the point where she couldn't stop.

"Lucie, what's so funny?" He asked, a bit concerned, but clearly relieved that she wasn't as mad anymore.

Lucie was crying on the floor, she couldn't breathe properly, so she couldn't answer, and even if she could, what was she supposed to say to him? How come this type of misunderstanding happened in real life? One thing was Ladybug loving Adrien Agreste and not knowing he was Chat Noir. One thing was Adrien Agreste not loving Marinette because he was Chat Noir and was madly in love with Ladybug. How could these two oblivious idiots not know they were talking to each other? Not know they were falling in love with each other again? How come they had both shared their identities with each other and not believe that piece of information? How oblivious can you really be? This had become too much! Lucie was pretty sure that, if they already knew but didn't believe it, anything could happen and they would have found an oblique reason for it. Just so they'd dodge the truth.

"Ah, Adrien!" Lucie managed to sighed between fits of laughter, "I just remembered something really funny-" Adrien's brows frowned but his smile still stayed on, "Also, I-I have to call~ ahm… a friend." She got up, brushing of tears from her face, still trying to control her breathing "I forgot my gloves at her house!" She explained abruptly, walking up to her room.

"Lucie?" Adrien called her, confused by everything.

"Yes?" She turned to look at him, still amused.

"Zhi is sleeping in your room, remember?" He asked apologetically.

Lucie looked at her bedroom's door, then at Adrien, and back to her door, and snorted lightly, not able to control herself. She cleared her throat after a second, "right, ahm~ You think Charlie minds if I sleep in his room?"

"Not at all." He smiled gently, still unsure of what had happened to their very serious conversation. She nodded and walked to Charlie's bedroom instead. "Lucie?" He called again.

"Hum?" She asked turning to face him.

"Please don't tell anyone about M'lady." Lucie pressed her lips together. Another attempt not to laugh at the irony, "Specially not Alice…" he continued, "If you told her, she would tell Zhi and what a mess I'd be in." Lucie took a deep breath, "I mean, I don't want Buggzhinette to get into trouble, you understand that, right?" Lucie nodded vigorously, asking the gods to help her not laugh at his face again. "Okay," he breathed out, clearly relieved, "Thanks, Luce"

—- —- - — - - - -

The next day dawned into a beautiful sunny day.

Zhi got up with her alarm clock at 9h30 feeling very well rested. She turned on her catphone and she already got a good morning text from her favorite pen pal. She answered, feeling like nothing could be wrong with the world. Carefully, she tried to stand on her foot. It was sore, but the pain was nothing compared to the day before. She could stand and walk without a limp.

Looking around, she found clean clothes that someone had left for her to wear, probably Lucie. She got dressed and left to the bathroom to wash up before breakfast.

"Good morning!" Adrien greeted her, making her jump, thankfully she landed on her good foot. He chuckled mockingly.

"Hello" she answered, ignoring his chuckle, "thank you for the clothes" she said politely, pointing at them.

He nodded, "They suit you."

She cleared her throat and awkwardly pointed at the bathroom, which he also point at "Oh, sure!" and laughed clearly uncomfortable.

She went inside, shocked as to how they went from the comfortable mood from yesterday to this in one night. Sure, yesterday they had her ankle as the icebreaker, but would it always be like this? Always needing an icebreaker sounded exhausting!

[09h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _How are you today?_

She smiled, wondering if she should tell him about her ankle and deciding against it, she answered right away.

[22h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm great! It has been the first good night of sleep I had in a long time! And I didn't even sleep at my house! Ahahah_

Zhi started by cleaning her face, brushing her hair while texting Chat.

[09h42 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _You had a sleepover, M'lady? Was it fun?_

[09h44 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I wouldn't call it a sleepover._ *Or fun, she thought, looking at Adrien's bathtubs and feeling her cheeks burn* _I was caught up in the storm yesterday and crashed at a friend's house. _

She was in the middle of brushing her teeth when she heard the doorbell ringing. She didn't give it much thought, until she heard a feminine voice that she was certain she didn't recognize. Even then she ignored it.

[09h46 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, what a lucky friend that is! To have the awful storm working at her favor!_

She felt a tiny bit uncomfortable when she realized he had assumed that her friend was a girl.

[09h48 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Well, yes, you could definitely say it was luck, cuz _he _isn't the type of friend I would see on a normal and regular basis. _

[09h50 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh, he is a 'he'. Sorry I assumed… You wouldn't normally hang with him? Why is that? Isn't he your friend?_

Zhi finished applying her nude make up, there was no point in painting something too elaborate, when she was about to take it off by her team at the shooting.

[09h51 Today]

Buggzhinette: _We just reconnected. He is my ex. We didn't exactly end on good terms, but now we are grown up and a lot of time has passed, so… I don't know, we started talking again mostly because of our common friends and he helped me a lot yesterday. For that I'm grateful. _

She sent the text and prepared to leave the bathroom, she opened the door slightly, when she heard the feminine voice rise a bit, "Come on, Adrien, this is serious! Can't you stop looking at your phone and pay attention to me for a minute?"

Zhi stopped with the door semi opened, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry, Hannah," she heard him say, clearly distracted by something, "what were you saying?"

Zhi knew she shouldn't be eavesdropping! So she was about to leave the bathroom and let them know of her presence, when the girl, Hannah, said:

"I was just saying that you barely have time for me, now… you will leave in a week, gone for two months, and I will miss you…"

Zhi's insides squirmed, as she froze on the spot, uneasy with what she was witnessing.

"Oh, Hannah," he said, "come here!" He stepped into Zhi's vision, so did the girl, and he hugged her. Zhi swallowed dry, for some reason still unable to move a muscle, "You know, you can always call me… I'm here for you whenever you need me."

"It's not the same…" Hannah sobbed, muffing the sound against his chest.

"Hum…" he said awkwardly, "I'll tell you what!" He said loosening his grip on her, so he could see her face, she let out another weak sob, "How about I take you to dinner today?"

Zhi saw Hannah clean a falling tear from her face and looking up to him, hopeful, "Really?"

He nodded, "Would that make you feel better?" He asked, softly. Zhi almost snorted at this.

She decided she needed to get out of the bathroom ASAP, because she was Zhi Ruo Léi and eavesdropping was below her. Also she didn't need to hear what Adrien's girlfriend did to make him take her out on a date. Zhi straightened up and got out of the bathroom looking as innocent as possible. Adrien and Hannah jumped, slightly startled.

"Oh, hello" Zhi waved at Hannah who was rubbing her face, embarrassed to be caught crying.

Adrien chuckled lightly, "I had forgotten you were still here!"

Hannah looked confused at both, and then confusion turned to anger when a glint of recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by a clear jump to the wrong conclusions.

"Zhi, this is Hannah. Hannah, this is Zhi-"

"I know who she is." Hannah said so bitterly that even Adrien caught that something was off.

"Okaaay," Zhi said after a very uncomfortable moment of silence, where Adrien looked confused at Hannah and Hannah looked like she was pondering if she should murder her. "So, I'm gonna go!" She said trying to look as unthreatening as possible, "thank you for the help, Adrien!" She ran to Lucie's bedroom to pick up her stuff so she could leave.

"What is _she_ doing here!?" Zhi heard Hannah ask with venom in her voice. She heard him talking back at Hannah in a muffed tone she couldn't understand over the closed door.

Damn, that was a jealous girlfriend. If she knew Adrien had a girlfriend she would never had accepted and slept in his house without him letting her know it was okay by Hannah. It wasn't her fault that the girl had made wrong conclusions right away either. If it was anyone's fault, was Adrien's. It said an awful lot about him, if they asked her. Cheating was just the type of thing she was not surprised he'd do, again. Her insides were still contorting with uneasiness while she was gathering her stuff.

When she left Lucie's room, the first thing she thought when she saw the couple was that Hannah was attacking Adrien. That lasted only a fraction of a second, until her brain caught up to what was really in front of her eyes. They were kissing. Hannah was totally on top of Adrien, and Adrien was making this weird noises…

_oh my! _Zhi shut her eyes and added a protective layer with her hands, dropping her stuff unceremoniously on the ground. Shivers ran through her body while the scene in front of her made memories flood her mind and her eyes itchy.

"Hannah!" Zhi heard Adrien say sounding stunned and a bit offended, "What the hell!"

Zhi dropped her hands as she opened her eyes and saw Hannah was now a few meters from Adrien, who was looking pretty stunned. Maybe he wanted to keep their relationship secret and now it was impossible because she had seen them? Blinking furiously, Zhi picked up her bag and coat from the floor, and with as much grace she could fake, she walked to the front door, saying, "Sorry I interrupted. Adrien, thank you for everything!" She reached the door sooner than expected, opened it, looked up at Adrien's bewildered expression and then Hannah's embarrassed face, not reading into their expressions with the rush to leave "And Hannah, it was nice to meet you!" She closed the door behind her and practically ran to the elevator.

—

The minute the door closed behind Zhi, Adrien turned to face Hannah, "What the hell was that for?" He repeated, feeling angry, confused and stupidly guilty that Zhi had witnessed it. The fact that Ladybug had spent the night at her ex boyfriend's house was not the top of his priorities right now, and that was saying a lot about how he was feeling at the moment.

"I- I'm so sorry…" Hannah said, starting to look as if she was just now realising that she had kissed him, "I don't know what came over me!"

Adrien's features softened at his friend's plea. "I forgive you. But I'm still confused, first you get that weird defensive reaction when Zhi came out of the bathroom and not a second later you are trying to kiss me?"

Hannah looked hurt, "I was just trying to protect you." She frowned as if she was making a hard decision, and then she burst out all her thoughts about it, "She hurt you badly, I know what she did to you, but suddenly one game night with friends and she's forgiven? To the point that you are sleeping with her the next night!? Have you no self respect?"

Adrien was taken aback by Hannah's words. She seemed to regret what she said for a second, but as she thought it thoroughly she held her head high, daring him to say she was wrong. Adrien sighed at that. She was only trying to protect him.

"Not that I owe you any explanation," he started with a warning glance at her, "Zhi spent the night here because I made her twist her ankle and it was pouring like hell outside, yesterday night. Didn't you notice her limp as she left? Also, I did not sleep with her. She slept in Lucie's bedroom." He clarified matter-a-factly, as he pointed to the room Zhi had left a few minutes ago.

Hannah looked at the room he was pointing at and then at Adrien. Her expression changed and he could tell she was feeling guilty that she had just assumed the worse.

"Now, care to explain why you kissed me?" He asked, with his eyebrows up.

Hannah sighed, blushing, "Can't we just forget it happened? It was an impulse…"

Adrien was not happy with that answer. Did she kiss him because she thought he had slept with Zhi and wanted her to catch them? A revenge-kind-of-kiss to hurt Zhi? And did it work? Was Zhi hurt by the sight of them kissing? She certainly looked like she wanted to flee the house, which she did…

Or did Hannah like him? Did she mean that kiss? Didn't she know that he was in love with another girl?

Oh, what was LB going to say about this? Should he tell her? Should he not tell her? Now he was the one feeling guilty and it wasn't even his fault that he'd been kissed!

In the end, maybe Hannah was right! If she had done it to get back at Zhi, he wasn't sure he wanted to know… If she liked him, but was asking him to forget the matter, he should simply accept her wishes.

After all, she was one of his only friends, the only true one he'd made at school, and she was there on her day off to work on the X brand projects with him. She had made a mistake and apologized, and she had also made an effort to be there with him, to work with him when she could have easily chosen to rest instead. She deserved him to be a bit understanding.

He sighed resigned, "Fine. But please don't do it again. You didn't get my consent, it wasn't a nice feeling to get kissed like that."

Hannah looked even more ashamed, if possible. Which was good in a way, he knew she wouldn't try that again. She nodded, staring at the floor.

"Now that that's out of the way, let's get to work?" He said cheerful, attempting to lighten the mood.

She nodded again and followed him to the studio/room.

—-—

[10h28 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Bug, I apologize It took me so long to get back at you. I had some drama here at the house. _

[10h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _He helped you, so I can't really trash talk him for being your ex… How come I feel like I want to dislike him, but still feel happy that you had someone to help you? Are you okay now, princess?_

Surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of traffic at that hour and Zhi was finally arriving at the palace, when she got his reply. If she was honest with herself, she had been a bit apprehensive with his lack of answer… would he get jealous? Was he even entitled to feel jealousy? But his answer had been the sweetest. After all she had witnessed with Adrien's jealous girlfriend, she thought how lucky she would be with if she ever dated Chat.

[10h31 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Drama? You too? Ah! I bet you can't top the drama at my friend's house! I literally ran off. Ahaha! I'm feeling much better, thank you! He really helped. Got me impressed. But between the two of us, you can trash talk him anytime you like. XD _

She paid the taxi driver and stepped out of the car. She was early, they weren't expecting her so early, the shooting would only start in two hours. She explained the director that she had a hurt ankle, but it was nothing much. She had to inform him of this kind of stuff, and after the brief conversation where he expressed wishes of the best recovery and that they would all be careful and keep an eye on her. Since she was early, the director asked her if they could get over with her alone scenes in the hour before, that way everyone would get to go home earlier. Very happy with that idea, she left to do hair and make up.

[10h35 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Oh! You had drama too? Do tell! Is this ex of yours the one that broke your heart into pieces? Cuz if he is, I will trash talk him alright, and with good reason!_

Zhi smiled sadly at her phone, once she sat at the hair and make up station. While the hairdresser was given new directions, because she was filming other scenes than the one scheduled first, she had some time to talk to Chat.

[10h46 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Well, he is the ex that broke my heart. But as I said before, it was a long, long time ago. We are trying to leave it in the past. But, about the drama: his girlfriend made him an unexpected visit and once she saw me there she flipped at him! That is a jealous girlfriend he has there, not that I really blame her. He is the cheating type. _

[10h49 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _No! Did he cheat on you? That's why you broke up with him?_

Zhi snorted at that.

[10h55 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Yeah, he did. Big time. Even got caught on camera. That is how I found out._

And at the same time she sent it, she got a:

[10h55 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Also, I might be able to top that, actually. I did some helping of my own last night. I accidentally hurt a friend and took her in for the night because the weather was crazy. Hannah came to help on some designs this morning and when she saw my other friend in the house, she went ballistic. She started yelling and when my other friend was out of sight, she kissed me out of nowhere! I felt a bit violated, to be honest, and my friend, she kinda ran away after that. XS _

Zhi blinked at the phone, not sure what to think of his message. His drama topped hers, all right. The first thing she got from that text was that Chat was a wanted man. Both girls clearly had feelings for him, it was her turn to feel jealousy. Hannah kissed him! She knew she didn't like Hannah from the moment he mentioned her! And what's up with all the Hannahs, ahm!? Adrien's Hannah was clearly a crazy jealous and controlling girlfriend, and Chat's Hannah had just kissed him without his consent! The other girl he mentioned was clearly infatuated with Chat too, why else would she run when she saw him kissing another? But she had had all night to make a move on him and she didn't. She was decent, and her name was clearly not _Hannah_.

Her skeptic nature couldn't help but wonder if he really felt bad that another girl had kissed him. True, she was nothing but a pen pal to him, he owed her no explanations, but he liked her, right? It was very likely that whenever they had their meeting they would kiss, and the meeting could soon become a date. That was what she was hoping for, at least. He had politely declined and asked to reschedule her invitation to meet, was that because he was truly very busy (with his talent for designing outfits she didn't doubt), right? What if it was because he had grown so apart from her this whole time that he didn't want it anymore? Not really?

She groaned in frustration at her stupid overthinking brain and earned herself an odd and amused look from the make up artist that had just came in the room.

There was nothing she could do about it if that was the case. She could only hope it was not and that she didn't lose her chance. Maybe she should up her game too?

[11h03 Today]

Buggzhinette: _WOW, that tops mine, definitely! Hannah had no right to kiss you if you didn't want to kiss her. I hope you told her that! Also, I had no idea I had such competition, Kitty. _

That was the best she could come up with. Yes.

And his answer didn't take long.

[11h05 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I'm really glad you're not mad. I was a bit afraid of telling you, but in the end it wasn't really my fault and I really wouldn't like you to know through someone else, even though that would be very unlikely to happen. But you got me confused by the end, what competition? _

Zhi rolled her eyes and chuckled. That answer was typical Chat. She was almost expecting it.

[11h08 Today]

Buggzhinette: _First of all, I had no right whatsoever to be mad at you. Even if you wanted to kiss Hannah. We aren't dating. Although I can't promise you I wouldn't feel extremely sad and heartbroken. But I am glad you trusted me and told me._

[11h10 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I will reformulate in the most obvious way possible: Hannah and your other friend clearly have a crush on you. I had no idea I had such competition. _

She repeated the ending on purpose, of course.

[11h11 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Okay, although I think you are wrong and they most definitely haven't got a crush on me, you don't have to worry about that. There is no competition. The only girl I want to kiss is you._

_Okay, okay! He likes me! He still does! _

Was the only thought on her mind when her hairdresser came back to get Zhi's hair done and pass her on to make up.

How could she have been so miserable yesterday and today feel like she was floating on the clouds!? All the uneasiness she had felt with Adrien kissing his girlfriend evaporated. Chat really liked her. She beamed at her hairdresser and typed a quick answer.

[11h14 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I would totally kiss you right now, if you'd let me._ _And although, I would be inclined to disagree about your friends' feelings, if you say there's no competition, that is all I care about. _

[11h15 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I've got work to do, so I will talk to you later. Kiss :*_

* * *

**_Isn't this Chapter's title just the perfect description of Zhi and Adrien? xD_**


	17. They know

_**Hi there, amazing readers! **_

_**Thank you so much for the reviews! I really appreciate them* **_

_**I know this is a very short chapter, but I will post another one tomorrow! I had to split them, it wouldn't make sense to post them together. **_

_**I hope you like this! It's short but funny. The veil is unravelling. ^^**_

* * *

**They know**

"She sure is taking her time…" commented Simon, frustrated.

They were still at Alice's house waiting on Lucie's update. Simon was sitting on the floor, watching and rewatching that awful footage, and Alice was on the couch with her legs up.

"Maybe, when she got there, there was more damage control to do that we initially thought…" Alice wondered, distractedly biting the crust of her last slice of pizza.

Her comment did nothing to help Simon's nerves, especially because she might be right.

"They got themselves into a big mess this time." Alice continued hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees, and Simon simply nodded, "I think we should try everything we can to untangle this misunderstanding, but maybe that idea of talking to Eloise… it might not be the best one we had so far. She will probably manage to find a way to make everything worse."

"I can understand where you're coming from, Alice, but she is the one that showed you the footage… And, right now, kind of our only lead." He sighed, frustrated, "How did she even know about this damned footage?" Simon said, turning his head to look up at Alice. She was looking right back at him. _Were her eyes always this blue?_

Alice was the first to break eye contact, visibly flushed. She didn't look down, but to the computer screen behind Simon's head like something had caught her eye. For a moment she appeared to forget her abashment and her face turned into a mask of shock while she stared at the screen.

"I must be dreaming" she mumbled, blinking furiously.

"What!? Why?" He asked, looking behind and seeing exactly the same footage as he'd seen on repeat since Lucie had left.

Alice delicately sat on her knees on the floor near Simon, pulled the video backwards and paused it.

"I think I know exactly how she knew about this video." Alice said fiercely and clearly a bit angry, "Tell me you see it too." She pleaded, looking at him with a hint of excitement, that caught him off guard for a fraction of a second.

"Ahm~ What am I supposed to see exactly?" He asked, confused. That part where she paused the video wasn't even a good angle on Adrien.

"Don't you recognize her?" Alice insisted, pointing at the girl.

He narrowed his eyes, looking at the girl snogging 'Adrien' in the video.

"Is that…?"

"I think it is!" Alice breathed lively, making him feel hope bubbling on his chest.

At that moment, Simon's phone started to ring. He quickly answered and put it on speaker mode.

"Lucie, we got news!" He said excitedly, making Alice giggle.

"I've got news too," Lucie answered, clearly laughing hard and not able to control it.

Simon and Alice traded a confused look, followed by a chuckle.

"Okay, spill it!" Said Alice playfully, but anxious to know what Lucie had found out that was so funny.

"Oh my gosh," Lucie giggled to the phone, making them trade one more amused glance at each other, "You won't believe what I just found out!"

"That's kind of our line, Luce! Come one, quit stalling!" Replied Simon getting a bit frustrated.

"Okay, okay! So… … …, they know." Lucie said unceremoniously, after the dramatic pause.

Alice and Simon stood quiet for a moment with similar shocked expressions on their faces, and then started talking at the same time:

"They know!?"

"What do you mean 'they know'?"

"How can you be laughing at this?"

"How did they find out?"

"Did they just found out?-"

"Did they know all along-"

"Hey, hey!" Said Lucie, giggling softly, and Alice and Simon abruptly stopped talking so they could listen, "I realise that was probably the worst way to tell you. But don't fret!" She added, quickly before any of them could interrupt her, "They know, but-_*snort*_ they-_*giggle*_ DON'T BELIEVE IT."

Alice looked from his phone to Simon, confused. He was smiling widely with amusement glinting on his eyes.

"Lucie, are you drunk?" He asked so calmly that Alice giggled.

"No," Lucie replied promptly and slightly offended, "although, I think that if I was, it would have been easier to relate to our dumb oblivious friends."

"Okay, I give up." He sighed, chuckling.

"I know how it sounds, Simon! But it's the absolute truth!" Lucie chuckled with incredulity.

Simon sighed once again, "Explain."

"There's not a lot to it, really," She started, making Simon roll his eyes and Alice giggled at him, "I simply asked Adrien if it ever occurred to him to ask Buggzhi-what's-her-name-"

"Buggzhinette" Alice promptly corrected.

"That! Thanks, Alice!" Lucie kept going, "I asked him if he ever asked her who she was. And he had." At this point, Lucie was clearly trying not to laugh again, "And she actually answered!"

"Wait!" Alice interrupted, "Zhi told him that she is Zhi Ruo Léi!?"

"YEEES!" Lucie burst into laughter, "And- and! Oh my god, I'm gonna die! Wait! The best part: She asked him as WELL! BAHAHAHAH!" They could tell at this point that Lucie was crying on her floor, " And! And! He TOLD HER!"

"He told his penpal that he is Adrien Deveraux?" Simon asked bewildered.

"YES! But neither of them believed the other!" Finished Lucie triumphantly.

"Wow" was all Alice could say.

"Are you sure?" Simon asked with his right eyebrow lifted.

"I am!" Giggled Lucie, "Adrien literally just told me!"

"Oh my god."

"Yes, I know… They are the most blindest-est pair in the WHOLE universe." Said Lucie, "The good news is that we don't even need to keep an eye on them. They'll never believe it!"

"I'm shocked." Let out Alice, "But I'm not sure if I completely agree with you on that 'they'll never believe' thingy… What if they schedule a meeting in person, or do a video call, or-"

"Shoot! You're right, Alice." Lucie admitted with panic on her voice, leaving Alice and Simon feeling uneasy, "When I arrived here, Zhi as Bug asked Adrien to meet. I nearly got a heart attack!"

"Oh no! Then what happened!?"

"They didn't schedule anything, but they are thinking of doing it when we are all in Paris, so I guess it will be easy-ish to make them stay apart, but it won't last long. He is playing all strong, but I know he is dying to meet her…" Lucie snorted lightly at the irony, and so did Simon and Alice. It was funny indeed now that they understood the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Hey, on the plus side, none of them can get mad at each other for concealing their identities! None of them actually lied!" Said Simon, happily.

"Hum~" Doubted Alice.

"Yeah, I don't think it's that easy, pal." Agreed Lucie.

"What! Why not!? It's the truth, both of them told the truth!" Defended Simon, outraged.

"Well, yes," Started Alice, "If they didn't' have so much story together, maybe…"

"Even then…" Added Lucie, "It was very likely that one or both of them would feel wronged."

"Yes…" Alice agreed with a nod.

Simon shook his head and sighed frustrated, "Why is everything so complicated with these two?"

Alice sighed softly and smiled regretfully. Then, without a thought to it, she picked up his hand and held on tight to it, bringing it up to her heart, as if she was trying to ease his worries, "It's not just with the two of them." Her eyes locked on his for the second time, making his heart race, "Everyone is complicated. _People_ are complicated, right?" He gulped and nodded, feeling bewitched. Alice shrugged, flashing him a genuine smile, "That's what makes life so beautiful."

It might have been fractions of seconds, but Simon could have spent hours in that delightful quiet.

"Aww!" Sighed Lucie, not realising she was interrupting a breathtaking silence, "that was so sweet, Alice!"

Self-consciousness abruptly crashed on both Simon and Alice at the same time and they practically jumped away from each other, their faces burning.

"And you are absolutely right!" Lucie continued, clueless, "Without complications, what's the fun, right!?"

The first one to recover was Simon, who cleared his thought and laughed awkwardly. Alice simply looked down, feeling her hand, where she'd held his, burning as strong as her face. She wanted to die of embarrassment.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Asked Lucie, finally realising the odd silence.

Simon glanced at Alice, who kept her head down, cleared his throat and said, "Ah~ Yes, we found something in the footage."

"You HAVE!? What?" Lucie asked excited for more information.

"Either Eloise has a twin sister that we don't know about, or she is the girl in the video." He answered plain and simple.

"What? Are you sure?" Lucie's voice went from excited to disbelief in a fraction of seconds.

"We are. She was wearing clothes she normally wouldn't and a wig, possibly, but I'm pretty sure it's her." He grabbed his phone and turn the camera on, "Here, I'm gonna send you the video so that you don't have to turn on the computer."

"That'd be great, Simon!" Lucie replied.

Simon recorded a bit of the footage where Eloise was most visible and sent it to her. Then, he placed the phone back on the table.

While they waited for Lucie to watch the video, Simon glanced again at Alice the moment she was glancing at him, and they both looked the other way. Simon slapping himself mentally for behaving in such an odd way in front of Alice (_What the hell is wrong with me?_) and Alice cursing under her breath. This made Simon look back at her with his eyes wide open and guffaw.

Alice's hands flew to her mouth as if she'd just realised that she had actually said that aloud.

"What happened?!" Lucie asked, curiosity dyeing her voice.

Since Simon kept laughing, Alice smiled apologetic let out a small chuckle.

Feeling the weight lifting off the air, they could finally breathe, Simon replied, still with traces of laughter in his voice, "Nothing happened, Lucie! Alice here was just being hilarious without meaning to."

Alice's cheeks were still pink, but she didn't look down this time, her eyes were filled with amusement and a glint of defiance, "Lucie, have you seen it already?" She asked before Lucie could pressure the matter further.

"Nop, I'm watching it… Now!" Lucie said, "Oh, my…"

"So?" Asked Simon, waiting for her input.

"Damn, you were right. It is Eloise…" Lucie said breathless, "How didn't we see this before? Doesn't matter! We can't ask Eloise about something she clearly plotted!" She rambled frustrated.

"We know, Luce," Simon agreed, "But nothing is lost. On the contrary. We might not have a plan of action anymore, but we know who did this."

"Yes!" continued Alice, "Eloise is the one that showed this footage to me, she clearly has something to do with it. And the fact that we know that now, makes it much easier to know who we shouldn't ask about it."

"That means Eloise and her minion, right?" Asked Lucie, as if to just be sure.

"Well, I meant Eloise only actually. I've heard Mattheo doesn't hang with her anymore…" Alice said, with uncertainty.

Like the good Mean Girl she was, Eloise had her tight circle of friends. Mattheo had been the only one that still kissed the floor she stepped on once the last Miraculous movies were over.

"Even if that is true, we shouldn't take the risk of talking to him about this, Alice." Lucie said with certainty, and Simon nodded showing that he agreed.

"Alright." Alice let out, shrugging, "If you think that's best…"

"Can you imagine what would happen if he told Eloise?" Said Simon clearly not looking forward to it, "It's better if we find another way."

"Fine. The truth is if it's like you said, Lucie, and they are only meeting once we are in Parise, we have some time to think and figure this out." Alice sighed defeated. She would like to give Mattheo a chance. As far as she could remember, he wasn't so bad when Eloise wasn't in the room. And he was a man now, supposedly he had freed himself from Eloise, according to Zhi who had kept in touch with him for the last couple of years. Being on friendly terms with Zhi and having worked so close to Adrien, playing Nino, maybe he could be a great help. He probably knew every detail of Eloise schemes. But if Lucie and Simon were against it, she would leave it for the time being and think about it if they had to pull a last-minute card up their sleeves.


	18. One day

_**Guys, yesterday was a crazy day for me! I honestly forgot to post this! Late Bloomers, I hope your birthday yesterday was amazing! **_

_**I hope you like the tiny chapter! I promise next one (in two weeks) will be bigger! **_

_**Love, **_

_**AuriMoon**_

* * *

**One day**

"Make yourself at home!" Said Zhi Ruo, closing the front door, after the last one of Alice's bags was in the hallway.

"Thank you!" Alice giggled, dropping the last bag and sinking on the sofa in the living room.

They had just flown from London to Paris. Alice was going to stay over for the two months of recording and she had brought most of her wardrobe with her.

"You do realise that I have a washing machine, right?" laughed Zhi when she had seen her friend's luggage. To which Alice had replied "Better safe than sorry", and Zhi couldn't really argue with that logic.

Back to the present, Zhi asked, "Do you want to have some tea in the garden?"

It was late, but the night was warm, the moon was smiling and the sky was clear, as full of stars as one can see in Paris with all the lights.

Alice grimaced, apologetic, "I'm really exhausted today. Can we do it tomorrow?"

They had had a very busy and tiring day, Zhi couldn't blame Alice. She too was very tired. She just didn't feel like going to sleep right away. She'd missed her house, she felt like she needed to be awake a little while longer to fully appreciate it. Even if just for a few more hours.

"Sure, Alice" said Zhi with an understanding smile, "Let's put your stuff in your room."

"Nooooo" Alice whined throwing her head back to the sofa she was sitting in, making Zhi chuckle. "We can do that tomorrow!"

"Alright! I will lend you some pyjamas," Zhi started to climb up the stairs, but seeing Alice was still on the sofa, she added, "Come on, now. Trust me, you don't want to sleep there."

Alice groaned as she got up and followed a very amused Zhi up to the first floor.

After putting on their PJs and talking for a bit, Alice went off to her bed, leaving Zhi in her room, lying on her bed, facing the ceiling, fully awake.

She picked up her cat phone and typed a message to Chat Noir.

[1h07 Today]

Buggzhinette: _I'm home! Safe and sound!_

She sighed, turning her head to her left and looked out the window, wishing her Chaton came to her balcony with his baton and leather suit. The thought of it made her smile widely. Marinette was such a lucky girl to have a kitty cat that could simply jump into her balcony in the middle of the night!

[1h12 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Uff! I was starting to worry when you didn't say anything. I mean, how long can a plane flight take? Ahahah! Now I can sleep in peace._

Zhi's smile grew. She wasn't as lucky as Marinette, who could be with her Chat Noir on her balcony, but she was lucky enough.

_One day. _She wished. Not that she wished he'd come to her balcony, that would be dangerous, but maybe that he could meet her in her garden in a warm starry night like today's.

[01h14 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Were you worried, Kitty? ^^ Sorry about that! It took me some time to arrive home and settle in. I missed my house very much. _

Zhi got up from the bed, opened up her window and stepped barefoot onto her balcony.

It was nothing like Marinette's. Zhi's balcony was small, it took you no more than two steps to reach the handrail. It had some plants (currently green and out of flowers) hanging outside the full extent of the rail, she thought to herself she couldn't forget to thank her maid for taking such good care of her house and plants while she had been gone.

No, it was nothing like Marinette's great big balcony, but it was hers. Zhi sighed happily.

The best part about it was that it was facing her garden. Her beautiful garden. Breathing in and feeling the breeze ruffling the skirt of her nightgown she decided she was going to have tea in her garden alone, like she often did. Even if it was night time.

She left the balcony, closing the window and grabbed her robe and her _cat phone_ and left the room quietly. In the hallway, she carefully dodged all of her's and Alice's bags and made her way into the kitchen.

[01h16 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Not gonna lie. I was beginning to fret a bit, but my worries were not justified, thankfully. Was the journey pleasant, m'Lady? _

This made her feel happy. She was alone, but not lonely. Not with him there. But he should have been asleep. After all, he was sick. He'd caught a cold after that awful rainy day the week before. She was still surprised that she hadn't caught a cold too. She had been drenched! For a second she wondered if Adrien was sick too, but quickly dismissed the thought. She didn't want Adrien Devereaux getting in the middle of her thoughts of Chat Noir.

[01h24 Today]

Buggzhinette: _It was very good, thank you! Are you feeling better? _

Zhi put the water in the boiler, sighing and thinking that she should send Chat off to bed. It wasn't as late in London as it was in Paris, but a sick person needs to sleep to get better. Still, she couldn't find it in her to do it. She missed him more than words can describe. And she hadn't even met him.

[01h25 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I am not. _

The water was already boiled, but she let it be, frustrated and worried that Chat was still feeling bad.

[01h27 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You aren't? Gosh, Chat, what are you doing still up, then? You have been sick for days! Have you even been to the doctor?_

Zhi poured the water to a Christmas themed mug, her favourite, and add a peel of lemon and some honey, never taking her eyes off the phone, waiting for his answer.

[01h29 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _To answer your question, I have been to the doctor, yes, and I'm no longer as sick as I was, but I'm feeling bad! And you are the reason! __ღ__ Just thinking that you are in the city of love, without me… Makes me feel kinda sad, honestly._

Zhi's heart fluttered a little and it was filled with relief. She chuckled lightly: her Kitty loved to be dramatic.

[01h31 Today]

Buggzhinette: _You got me scared, Chat! xD I'm glad you aren't as sick as you were. As to the matter of me being all alone in the city of love, it will change very soon, right? When will you fly here?_

Zhi grabbed her steaming hot tea and walked outside. The floor was cold, the warmth of the sun long gone, but she didn't care. She walked carefully on the rough stone and sat on the outdoor sofa, placing her too-hot-to-drink tea on the garden table.

[01h34 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I think we can meet in two weeks. I will be arriving in Paris a few days earlier than that, but I probably won't be able to schedule with you before. My calendar is full. :/ _

[01h34 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _Ohhhh but just the thought of meeting you… Makes me swoon* _

Zhi giggled. Her fears about meeting him had disappeared. She trusted that he knew better than to reject her when he saw her just because she was a celebrity he didn't like. She knew he was very busy, but she also saw that he was making her chase him a bit. That was understandable, well deserved and surprisingly fun.

[01h35 Today]

Buggzhinette: _Me too. __ღ_

She quickly checked her schedule and smiled when she saw that she was free. He had randomly suggested a day and it was her last day on set for 'Where the flowers grow', where it was scheduled just the morning for shooting! And the day after she would have a day off!

[01h38 Today]

Buggzhinette: _So, two weeks from today. Is that good for you?_

Chat took a little more time to answer, she assumed that he was checking his schedule as well. While she waited, she sipped her tea and hummed Miraculous' theme song to the breeze and the moon.

[01h43 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _I can't during the morning, or lunch, or at dinner time. But I'm free from 15h to 19h-ish! Is that good for you? I will buy you a coffee!_

Zhi squealed a little at that! She was free to meet him at the time he suggested! How was scheduling a meeting with Chat so easy?

[01h44 Today]

Buggzhinette: _It is absolutely perfect! __ღ_

[01h45 Today]

Chat_Noir999: _It's a date, then! __ღ_

They spent the next two hours talking sweet nothings and occasionally slipping in a flirtatious joke, both of them feeling the overwhelming bliss of being in love with someone and being loved back.


	19. I'm sorry

_**Dearest Miraculers, **_

_**Here I am, as promised, posting a new chapter. This was a really hard one to write, but at the same time one of the easiest, if that makes any sense. xD**_

_**There are new characters introduced here (AKA Eloise and Mattheo), and that is part of the reason that it is such a long chapter. I thought about cutting it in half, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so Yay for you! Ahahah!**_

_**I'm not sure when I will be able to post a new chapter. Let's point to three weeks from now, although I might be able to post it in two weeks. My life is getting craaaAAAAAAAZYYYY! Ahahaha! **_

_**I'm really pleased with how this chapter turned out! Fluffiness and Drama, all included. Don't forget to comment your thoughts! Hope you like it! xoxo**_

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**I'm sorry**

"Tell me again why did we have to dress up like this." Whined Zhi Ruo Lei, struggling to pick a long gown to wear to the dinner party marking the start of a new Miraculous movie, "They never asked us to wear ball gown attire before!"

"Is she always like this?" Murmured Lucie to Alice.

"No." Answered Alice truthfully, "Usually it's me that agonizes over what to wear. And in her defence, she did know what she wanted to wear. It was just... _unfit._"

Zhi's gowns covered the bed. Alice and Lucie had already decided on which gown to wear and had them on, but Zhi kept going back for the X brand gown, which Alice and Lucie kept insisting wasn't appropriate for the dinner party.

The girls were getting ready together at Zhi's place and, according to the clocks in her phones, they were going to be very late.

Alice was dressed in silver and dark blue. The corset had a sleeveless sweetheart neckline and it sparked with the silver beaded material, which kept going down the full length of the dress, loosening up a bit in the bottom part so that she could walk. But around the waistline, translucent dark blue fabric covered the silver, making a flowy skirt on top of the fitting silver one.

Lucie was wearing a fitted wine coloured dress with long sleeves. It didn't show much cleavage in the front, but the back was fully opened and the fabric so thin that Zhi could tell that Lucie was not wearing anything under that. It suited her like a glove, enhancing her petite figure. Lucie was wearing it to make a statement: "I'm a woman now, not a child". Zhi couldn't really blame her, Lucie had always been treated by most people as the baby in the cast. Also, she was doing it with style. Lucie looked like a dazzling superstar.

Zhi was still in her sweatpants, looking at the dresses on top of the bed and focusing not to take some hair off her head.

"Why don't you wear this one?" Asked Lucie for the millionth time.

"I told you... It's too puffy." Sighed Zhi and then added, "Plus, I don't want to go as Cinderella to this dinner party. It's not a mascarade."

Alice and Lucie crocked their heads to the same side in a comical way before agreeing with Zhi. That did look like something Cinderella would wear.

"Yep, I see it now." Said Alice, with a chuckle, "What's wrong with that one, again?" she pointed to a black dress.

"Too black."

"That one?"

"Too many ruffles."

Lucie hummed, amused.

"Plus," Added Zhi, "Have you touched that fabric? I would cook inside that dress in an evening like today's."

"How about one of mine?" Asked Alice, feeling defeated.

Zhi shook her head, "I've seen them all… I'm not feeling any of them."

"I have another gown downstairs… I hadn't decided which one I should wear, so I brought them both." Said Lucie suddenly, making a face that was between amusement and apologetic, making Zhi a tiny bit confused. Alice had opened the door to Lucie while Zhi was in the shower a few hours before, so Zhi hadn't realised Lucie had brought another dress.

"Okay," Zhi shrugged, "Let's see it."

Lucie went to pick it up and when she got back, she held a black dress-cover with both hands. It looked heavy. She took it off the cover and Zhi was unimpressed. She was looking at Lucie's hands full of fabric and without being able to understand the shape of the dress. The fabric was beautiful beyond compare, it was dusky blue or silver with lilac reflections, but the dress' silhouette...

"I decided not to wear it because it's really heavy and I got lost in it," Lucie explained, "Also, it takes me too long to take it off alone, but you have Alice here to help, so... You lose nothing by trying it on." finished Lucie, before Zhi could decline the dress.

Zhi looked at it, sure that she wasn't going to like it, but for some reason she found she couldn't say no to Lucie that was looking at her with a weird intensity on her eyes. So, Zhi started to strip her clothes and with the girls' help, she got inside the dress. When the last button was closed, both Alice and Lucie took a step to admire their work, and by the looks on their faces, it looked... good.

"Woow, Zhi." Alice breathed, agape.

"It suits you." Nodded Lucie, approvingly. "You are taller than me, so it doesn't look like it's wearing you."

Zhi walked to the front of the mirror and saw herself. She wasn't wearing makeup and her hair was still up in pigtails, but, from her chin down, her figure looked flawless.

The gown was fitted on top, with large crossed sleeves hugging her shoulders and from the waist down her legs were involved in dozens of metres of sparkly dust blue and lilac fabric that shifted colours when she moved. She found herself smiling at the dress. Simple, but stunning.

"And we have a winner!" Said Zhi, making Alice laugh.

"Not so fast." Said Lucie looking a bit apprehensive while grabbing her phone, "I need to make a quick phone call first." And she walked out of the room.

Zhi gave Alice an inquiring look, to which Alice answered with a shrug.

Lucie came back a few moments later and said, "All taken care of! That dress isn't mine…" She explained "It was borrowed. I had to ask my friend permission to lend it to you. But we're all good to go."

Zhi's eyes widened, "Are you sure it's okay? I can find another dress…"

"Are you kidding me, Zhi!? We've been through all of your dresses, and that one suspiciously looks like it was made for you." Retorted Lucie, flashing a meaningful glance at Alice, one that Zhi totally missed.

"It looks great, right?" Agreed Zhi. She hadn't felt this good in a dress since… Since the Chrysanthemum dress, the one she wanted to wear again tonight but wasn't 'proper', "If it really is okay for me to wear it, then I will. I promise I will be very careful with it."

"That's all I can ask." Smiled Lucie.

After that, they put on some makeup on, did each other's hair and soon, but still late, they were ready to leave Zhi's house.

"I'm glad traffic in Paris isn't as bad as traffic in London. Can you imagine having to walk to the hotel wearing such a big gown?" Laughed Zhi, before entering the car that Charlotte (her manager) had called for them.

"You are the only one with a princess ball gown." Pointed Alice, "Lucie and I could have walked there if it were close to your house."

Lucie followed Alice and Zhi to the back seat, giggling, "Yes, Zhi, for a person that didn't want to wear a Cinderella gown an hour ago… You could have fooled me."

"Oh shush!" Said Zhi smiling widely and smoothing her dress skirt with her hands, making the girls laugh.

The driver took them to the Hotel de Crillon, the hotel the cast was staying. Once they got there, they thanked the driver and entered the hotel.

Zhi had been in this hotel before, but it looked as beautiful as it did for the first time. The whole hotel had a neo-classic palace vibe to it. Lots of marble, lots of golds, and a pinch of romantic decor in some of the rooms.

The girls checked in with the fine-dressed bellhop and he guided them to the salon prepared for the dinner party.

"From this point on, the hotel is closed for the Miraculous event," he said calmly, trying to contain his excitement, while he guided them through a corridor that was partially made of windows with romantic golden ornaments, making the rooms visible, "Here's where you are going to have dinner," he pointed at the room they were passing by, where they could see a giant long table, already perfectly set for dinner, and kept walking, "This is the after-party room, the ballroom," he kept going and they followed, "Now you are up for some really delicious starters in the Jardin d'Hiver, the winter garden! Everyone is expecting you." He turned the corner and opened up the doors leading to the Winter Garden, "Enjoy your evening!"

It was a warm clear night, the moon was full, and the stars weren't visible from the garden, because of all the lights. The garden itself was outside but surrounded by the hotel's building. It had a statue of a naked woman in the centre of it and there were lounge-chairs and tables filled with food and surrounded by guests. Some sat, some were up, but they all looked like they were having fun. Before stepping into the garden, they could hear the soft and warm buzz of people talking and an occasional louder laugh here and there. There must have been easily a hundred guests.

They entered the garden and Alice murmured to Zhi and Lucie, "We must be really, really late if we got here later than Eloise." The girls giggled quietly. Eloise Bonnaire, the actress who played Alya, loved to be the last one to arrive, all her pores craved attention.

Once they were noticed, people started to come to greet them. Fellow coworkers: supervisors, cameramen, photographers, the director and writer, and the cast.

The first to come from the cast was surprisingly Eloise, followed by a tall, handsome man who was her plus-one. Well, not that surprising, the girl followed the spotlight and the spotlight was on them, so…

"Hello, my darlings!" She said sweetly with a gorgeous smile, that Zhi had learned was for the sake of apparency. It fooled many people. Eloise half-kissed, half-hugged each of them, "Oh, how I've missed you!" she sighed with her honey voice, coming back to lean on her date's arm. She looked beautiful, with a golden sparkly gown, so ornamented that looked like she was trying to match the ballroom's decoration.

"Hello, Eloise," Zhi replied, smiling politely. Alice and Lucie did the same.

The man next to her cleared his throat as a reminder that he hadn't been introduced.

"Oh, where are my manners? This is my boyfriend, Antoine." She squealed, having the decency to _look_ embarrassed.

They greeted him as politely as they did Eloise, not sure whether to pity the man for being Eloise's boyfriend or to stay the hell away from him (for the same reason).

"I hope we aren't too late," Added Lucie with a wink at the girls.

"No! Not at all!" Eloise giggled warmly, "Though it is a shame that you missed the dance the waiters performed while putting the starters on the tables. It never stops surprising me how much thought everyone puts into making us feel welcome every time we start a new Miraculous movie! Don't you feel blessed!?" She sighed, throwing a simper at them.

"Holy." Responded Zhi, not really able to control herself. Alice and Lucie chuckled.

Thankfully, more cast members came to greet them, so Eloise and her boyfriend went away to glorify other people with their presence, leaving the three friends feeling much more comfortable without them there.

Soon, they found Simon and Adrien waving and motioning to come over. So they excused themselves and started to cross the garden in their direction.

On the way there, Zhi's dress got caught in something. She let out a little squeak and looked back, terrified that she had ruined the gown, but it was just Mattheo's hand pulling her skirt.

"Why, hello, there! Is this how you treat your friends, Mademoiselle?" he said pretending to be upset. He was sitting relaxed but elegantly in a chair with a gin on a hand and Zhi's dress' fabric on another.

Mattheo, the actor who played Nino Lahiffe, wasn't very popular amongst the rest of the cast. He used to be a bully and a puppet of Eloise's when they were younger. Zhi had reconnected with him a couple of years ago and they had become good friends. Besides her and Eloise, from the whole cast, he was the only one still living in France. Sometimes, when Zhi desperately needed social connection to people other than coworkers, he'd be there.

Zhi smiled as he got up and hugged him gently, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"

He smirked, "Yeah, yeah, lies!" and she giggled, "And what we have here!?" He said noticing Alice and Lucie, that looked a bit uncomfortable with their familiarity towards each other.

"You know them, but let me introduce you and you can all have a fresh start!" Said Zhi, happily, "Alice Martin, Lucie Alard, this is the New Mattheo Leblanc!"

"Enchanté," he said, bowing to them, making Zhi chuckle in amusement. When neither of the girls said anything, he walked up to Alice and smoothly kissed her on both cheeks, "You look ravishing, my dear." he said in a low voice, that only the four of them heard.

Lucie let out an offended gasp and Zhi pulled him back from Alice, "Behave." She ordered, trying to look serious and failing miserably. Alice was a tomato.

Noticing that Alice was feeling uncomfortable, or simply because of Lucie's loud reaction to his scandalous flirting, he turned to Lucie with his best smoulder, "Lucie Alard! I can't believe this is _you_!" He said impressed, scanning Lucie's body in a way that would make _anyone_ blush.

"Mattheo…" Warned Zhi, perceiving Alice and Lucie's discomfort.

"What, I'm serious, Ruo!" He looked at Zhi and said with his eyes widened, "I was going to complain about you being so late and for keeping me away from dinner for so long, but _damn_ it was worth the wait." He turned to Lucie and his grin reached his eyes, like he was going to say something he knew he shouldn't but just couldn't help it, "Tell me, _Lulu_," his voice lowered when he used her childhood nickname, his eyes scanned her top to bottom again while he said, "How did you grow into… _this_?"

"Okay, let's go!" said Zhi, grabbing Mattheo's arm and dragging him far away from Alice and Lucie, who clearly looked like she was going to slap him at any moment. Zhi pushed him inside the hotel to the corridor they'd just came in through, away from everyone. "What the hell, Matt!"

He laughed light-heartedly, "What!? What did I do!?"

"Seriously?" She sighed frustrated.

Noticing she wasn't playing anymore, he groaned, "What do you want me to say? I got nervous! I'm bad at these things, Zhi!"

"Not an excuse for what just happened."

"I know. But they never liked me." He defended, looking anywhere but Zhi's eyes.

"And with good reason! You-"

"I know." He cut her off, looking dejected and vulnerable.

Zhi sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, it's not too late. I never liked you either," she smiled at him, "Until I did. Because you showed me that you aren't the same jerk you were back then!"

He squeezed her elbow and smiled back at her, this time a soft one, "Thank you."

"Let's go back?" She asked with a renewed energy.

He cleared his throat, "You should go without me. I think it's too soon for me to appear in front of Alice. She looked so red, I thought she was about to explode!" He smiled apologetically.

"Fine," Zhi rolled her eyes, but secretly agreed, "You have to apologize to them, though." She started walking to the garden's entrance, but turned to face him again when she realised his quiet reaction, "Seriously, Matt, later tonight, you _have_ to apologize. I want to be able to include you on game nights and stuff like that."

He simply nodded. Then, his grin spread across his face and she knew he was back to the teasing Mattheo facade, "Oh, and by the way, you look divine. Like an angel!"

Zhi snorted, "Matt, does that really work? On anyone?"

He flashed her a cocky smile, "It does." Which made her laugh more.

Mattheo had grown into a beautiful man, with his golden dark skin, his dazzling smile and his witty comments, but with time she had learned that it was all a front. He mattered to her because he cared for her. And there was nothing romantic or sexy about it. He cared for her because for the longest of times he had been alone and she had given him the opportunity to be her friend. She could feel his fierce loyalty towards her, like he would never let her down if he could help it.

"See you in a bit?" She smiled, trying not to roll her eyes again.

"Sure thing!" He waved, sipping on his drink.

Zhi walked in the Winter Garden and soon she found her friends talking near the cheeseboard.

Adrien was the first to notice she was walking up to them, but the first one to say anything was Alice, "Zhi!" she practically ran to meet her when she saw her, "Are you okay?"

"What the hell was _that_!?" demanded Lucie, looking rather attacked.

"I'm so sorry girls." Zhi said regretfully, "He isn't normally like that. I think he is a bit tipsy and nervous... It's no excuse, but please don't be too harsh on him..."

Lucie was speechless with fury, but Alice, understanding what it was like to be so nervous that you're not even yourself, nodded, "I understand. Well, if he apologizes, I will forgive him."

Lucie scoffed and shook her head, stunned, "I didn't like him before, but _now..._ I want to…" she seemed stuck with the word, so Adrien offered "... slap him?" Lucie winced, not convinced, so Alice suggested "... punch him right in the nose?" Lucie didn't seem pleased either, so Simon added "... snog him?"

"_Simon!_" They all replied half laughing half shocked, while Lucie simply grimace and yelled "EW"

"What?" Simon laughed and shrugged "I just said it because there's a thin barrier between Love and Loathing. And for Lucie, it didn't seem punishment enough to slap him or punch him… sooooooo-"

"_Ew! EW!_" Repeated Lucie, when she saw that no one was contesting Simon's reasons.

"I mean… He is good looking." Said Alice, deciding to play Simon's game.

Which made Zhi throw her head back and laugh, "Right?"

"And if Zhi is his friend, how bad can he be, really?" Added Alice, who was laughing so hard with Zhi that they were struggling to stay straight.

"Girls, seriously, not funny." Said Lucie clearly upset.

Zhi and Alice finally recomposed themselves and apologized to Lucie. Zhi noticed that Simon and Adrien looked like they were both trying to pretend to be amused, but something was bothering them. Maybe they had gone too far with the joke.

Lucie accepted their apologies when they agreed not to joke about it ever again. Soon they were called to the dining table and dinner was served. They all sat together and the meal went on with no bumps, until around the meat course, when a light tension arose between Mattheo and Adrien, who were sitting side by side with Simon next to Adrien and Eloise's boyfriend at Mattheo's side.

"Enjoying the view, Devereaux?" Mattheo asked playful but quietly, just for Adrien to hear.

Adrien's cheeks warmed up lightly. He had been having trouble focusing on anything other than Zhi tonight. It was the dress… It was his creation and he was just admiring his work, as a good narcissistic artist would. When Lucie had called him asking if she could lend the dress to Zhi, he'd been reticent. That dress hadn't been designed for her, but he knew that the fashion industry didn't work like that, so he had told Lucie yes with the condition that she didn't mention his name, because then what's the point of having an X named brand!?

Zhi was sitting across the table a few seats down from him, chatting happily with Alice and Lucie, and he… He had been staring at his _creation_ again without meaning to, "What do you want?" He asked annoyed, "First you offend Lucie and Alice and now… now what's up with that comment?" he replied, careful to keep his voice low. There was no need to ruin the night for everyone.

"I didn't mean to offend anyone and I will apologize in due time, but '_that comment'_? '_That comment_' is me being concerned for my friend's well being." Mattheo's grin disappeared making Adrien realize how serious he was.

"Your _friend_" Scoffed Adrien, knowingly.

"Oh, are you jealous?" Asked Mattheo with fake pity in his face, only to be replaced by a frown, "You can think whatever you want. I don't care. But yes, she is my friend. And unlike you, I know the boundaries of friendship and romance." Mattheo spat those last words accusingly.

Adrien's hands curled into fists. Mattheo looked like he was implying that Adrien hadn't loved Zhi enough and mistaken love with friendship. Worse, he was implying that Adrien was jealous of Zhi right _now_. Which he definitely wasn't. "What's that supposed to mean?" He asked defensively.

"It means exactly what you think it means. I'm her friend." Mattheo looked Adrien in the eyes and added with his voice turning deeper, "You will get one simple warning from me. Seriously, Devereaux, if for some crazy reason she looks at you again that way and you just give up and run on her the moment a little wave crashes on you two, like you did last time, I won't be responsible for my actions."

Adrien didn't know what to expect from the 'new' Mattheo but it certainly wasn't this. He felt a hint of respect towards the man that had antagonised him and his friends all his life. Mattheo truly cared for Zhi. That was nice to know.

He could have answered that he didn't know what he was talking about, or contest that it had been Zhi the one to break up with him and ruin everything, or that he didn't look at Zhi like that anymore, but he found himself thinking that it was unnecessary. Instead, Adrien simply nodded, "Deal." he said, and Mattheo smirked, looking to lighten up the mood, but Adrien stopped him, "Not so fast," he said, frowning, "It's my turn to warn you:" Adrien added, and since Mattheo simply raised his left brow and waited, he continued, "_Lucie_ is off-limits. You leave her alone."

Mattheo looked amused as his smirk grew, "No problem."

After the meat course, came dessert, and soon people were starting to get up and walk to the ballroom, where somewhere in the middle of dinner a band had started to play soft music.

In a matter of minutes, there were very few people sitting in the dining room. Mattheo drew a deep breath before getting up and walking around the table in Zhi's direction and Adrien's stomach jumped at that. He couldn't help but stare, wishing that he had the guts to go ask her to dance first and at the same time feeling mad at himself for having those thoughts. He was meeting his Lady THAT week! In a few days! How come he had _any_ desire to dance with Zhi?

Mattheo approached the ladies and surprisingly he asked Alice, not Zhi, to dance. Which she gracefully accepted, looking rather red, but pleased. And with that, the strangest thing happened: He felt Simon go stiff next to him at the same time that his own body relaxed.

"Simon," Called Adrien, trying to focus on anything other than himself and the thought that Zhi was still there without a dance partner, "You are glaring at them…"

Simon seemed to realise he was indeed staring at Alice and Mattheo who were now leaving the room. He looked at Adrien, feeling light-headed, and cleared his throat, "Ah- What were you saying?"

"Nothing, pal." Adrien laughed heartily, "I see the only single ladies in the room are Zhi and Lucie… You take Zhi and I take Lucie?"

"If you don't mind, I will take Lucie," Said Simon distractedly, "I need to talk to her about something." And without another word, he got up and asked Lucie to dance, leaving Zhi and Adrien alone, a few seats apart from each other and unsure of what to do.

The tension was deep and almost unbearable. Of course there were sounds and music surrounding the atmosphere, coming out of the other rooms, but the silence inside that one was sharp as a knife.

The thought of Zhi dancing with Mattheo had been unsettling, but the thought of himself dancing with Zhi was way too scary.

Zhi seemed to gather some courage, because she got up and walked up to him, making him feel dizzy for a moment. Had he told her how beautiful she looked tonight? _No. _Not _she. _The _dress. _That dress was beautiful and it suited her.

She stopped right in front of him, with a ginger smile, as if to ask if she could sit.

"Do-you-want-to-sit?" Adrien blurted out the words without meaning to.

She smiled and nodded, making a motion to sit. His heart was pounding so hard and he was suddenly feeling like he was about to suffocate, so he jumped up from his chair and said, "I'm sorry, I can't stay seated… I feel like I'm suffocating in this room, it's so hot! Isn't it hot?"

She giggled softly and nodded, "It is. So,... do you want to go to the ballroom, or… I don't know… to the garden?" She was feeling it too. The room looked way smaller with just the two of them there, so the garden would probably feel like that too…

"That's true, it is after all between walls…" He agreed, and she blushed when she realised that she'd just said that out loud. He didn't seem to notice her embarrassment, too worried about losing his mind, but not wanting to make her feel like he wanted to get as far away from her as possible, which was certainly true, but then again, it wasn't. "They have a rooftop in the hotel," he said suddenly.

"That sounds lovely," Zhi sighed, relieved.

"And I know a secret passage!" He added with his smile widening, motioning for her to follow and she did.

"You know a secret passage!?" repeated Zhi, excited, momentarily forgetting the awkwardness of being alone with Adrien.

"I do!" He laughed over his shoulder, "I've been in this hotel for a couple of days now! I like to explore!"

"I know you do!" She laughed, fondly, remembering the days when they explored places together.

He suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway and Zhi almost bumped into him.

"I think it was here, somewhere…" He said, looking for something in the wall.

"A hidden door! Like in every good building with romantic architecture!" Zhi let out, understanding what he was looking for and looking for it too.

He paused a second, to look at her, amazed, and then his eyes shifted to her side, "There it is! We walked more than we needed!" He said going back a few steps, with Zhi following. He looked around to make sure they were alone and asked, "You ready?"

"Born ready!" She squealed, barely containing her excitement.

He laughed while he opened the door. It was dark in there, so he turned on the lantern on his phone, quickly checking for a LB text and finding none. He wasn't too surprised, she had plans that evening and so did he. Without another thought to it, he followed Zhi, who was already inside with her own lantern on.

He looked around and started realizing how silly it was to be so excited about the 'secret passage', "I know it's just a staff staircase-"

"It's wonderful, Adrien!" Zhi said, grinning at him, "I'm so happy you shared it with me!" She sighed and he knew she meant it. He managed to nod, and she continued, "Is this the way up to the roof?"

He cleared his throat and said, "Could be! Don't you want to go by elevator, though?"

"Why? Are you afraid of a little staircase?" She teased, looking up.

He followed her gaze, laughing. The 'little staircase' had at least ten floors up to the roof, "I was simply being a gentleman and asking because of your shoes and long dress, but if you're good.."

"I'm good!" She reaffirmed and, to show him she was, she started climbing up the stairs, "You coming?" He grinned and followed.

They kept sharing some witty comments and treating the stair climb like a race.

Her bravado lasted longer than he was expecting, but near the seventh floor, she said, "Damn these heels! I'm gonna have to take them off! They're killing me!" She pressed her hand against the wall and desperately tried to find an opening in her dress.

Adrien came to her rescue, "May I?"

"Oh-my-god-Yes-please" she breathed out.

He squatted at her side, carefully brought the dress up just enough so that he could find her feet and tried to help her take off her shoes,... that had a buckle around her ankle. He fought a little with the clasp, but he managed to free her in a matter of seconds. She sighed in relief, feeling the cold ground on her feet, "Thank you so much!" she said, receiving her shoes.

"No problem." He laughed, trying not to feel awkward about the familiarity of their actions, "Do you want to sit for a bit?" he asked, pointing to the stairs. He would have mocked her, but he knew that if he did, she would hold on to her pride and just pretend like her feet were fine, and he knew they weren't.

"Not really…" she sighed, clearly moving one foot at a time under the skirt, "When I take these kinds of shoes off, I need to walk a bit. Like to make my feet adapt to their free status! Plus, we are almost there!"

"Alright!" He said, wondering if he should offer her his help, but she beat him to it when she started to climb the stairs alone. And he followed, this time, quietly.

Once they got to the top, Zhi opened the door and found a corridor similar to the one downstairs, but with fewer ornaments.

"Uff! That was a great workout!" Zhi breathed out.

"Yes it was, enough for the whole week, I'd say!" He replied, also trying to catch his breath.

They both chuckled and, for a couple of seconds, they simply focused on breathing. Then, Adrien looked around thinking about the best way to get where they were going and quickly deciding to go left, with Zhi on his tail. They walked for a short period of time, until he finally opened up the door leading to the roof.

The rooftop had a bar and a pool, but everything was closed and deserted. It was very late at night.

From up there, they could see more stars and the moon looked like a beacon of light. They walked side by side — at a safe distance from each other — to the handrail and just stood there, quietly, enjoying the silence and the view of Paris at night. A slight breeze blew and they both sighed at the same time, causing a fit of giggles to each other.

Adrien sighed, taking in the view, "City of Lights… I never get tired of Paris…"

"I don't either," Zhi agreed, and then, with a spark of laughter in her voice, she added, "And I lived here all my life."

Adrien chuckled briefly, and they were back to silence. They stood like that for some time. Just enjoying the view and (secretly) each other's presence.

After a while, Adrien broke the silence, "How was it? Shooting your first drama?"

He wasn't just trying to fill the silence, she could tell he was waiting for her answer. So she didn't just reply 'great' like she would to other people, "It isn't over yet. I still have the next two weeks of shooting. But so far, it has been a very educational experience," she could feel his eyes on her, but she forced herself not to look at him, "Honestly, some bad things were happening in my life when I started shooting, I was in a very bad place recording the most depressing scenes… So, I feel kind of a fraud that it was so easy for me to look miserable… I feel like I didn't do my job. The person you'll see on the screen is heartbroken me, not my character." Zhi paused, unsure of why she was sharing her insecurities with him, when she hadn't shared them with anyone else, not even Alice. But she'd always been like that with him, her doubts, her fears, just came out more easily, they sounded less silly.

"Well, from my point of view, you are likely the best actress I've ever met," This came out a little bitter, but before she could duel on that, he added, "So I don't think you should feel like a fraud. As long as you are the only one that sees that who appears on the screen is Zhi Ruo the actress and not your character, I don't think you should worry." He paused, feeling like a fool for not being able to stop himself from trying to make her feel better. She simply shrugged, clearly not convinced. He sighed, "What did the director say?"

"He loved it."

"See?" He said smiling, "You are a great professional." Adrien studied her and felt like he hadn't helped her. At all. So he shook his head and just spoke his sorrows too, "I do understand what you feel, though…" It was her turn to study him, while he looked at the horizon lost in thoughts "I was in a dark place recently too, and the only thing I could bring myself to do was work. I worked harder and for longer spaces of time than I ever have in my life... It's like the sadness was giving me a boost… Or like working was some sort of refuge..." _That dress you're wearing was a product of my dark days_, he thought to himself, glancing at her briefly, "and now that I'm feeling better and my life is finally settling into place, my drive to do my job is leaving me… I feel mentally drained from all that time I spent working nonstop, and now…" He sighed looking worried and defeated, "What if I'm only good when I'm feeling miserable?"

Zhi nodded, completely understanding. She had that same question in her brain… She had never been cast to play in a drama, and she was very insecure about it. What if she was only able to act depressed when she felt depressed? This was something that was truly worrying her, because Miraculous had some very dark scenes where Ladybug/Marinette was truly dejected. If she started dating Chat for real, she knew she'd be over the moon with happiness… Would she be able to act sadness with as many layers as she did playing Where the Flowers Grow?

She felt like she should say something to help him feel better too, but she actually agreed with him. What if it all had gone brilliantly because of her deeply sad feelings? So she decided to stop talking about feeling like a fraud and slightly shift the course or the conversation. "What happened? Did you and your girlfriend fight?"

Adrien seemed surprised for a moment, but then he shrugged and answered, "Well, she is not my girlfriend, not yet.." _Maybe that's why he didn't want me to see him and Hannah kissing…_ Zhi thought bitterly. _It's not official yet._ Adrien seemed lost in thought for a moment, and then he nodded, "But yes, I guess we had a fight. A big one. And… ah~ her absence was devastating."

Zhi gulped, feeling a tiny bit uncomfortable for the first time since the secret passage, "But everything is better now?" She forced herself to say.

He smiled softly, a smile she once thought he'd do thinking of her, "Yes. Everything will fall into place soon."

Zhi looked away before he could meet her gaze.

"How about you?" Adrien asked, not wanting to fall in a tense silence "Was it a case of a broken heart that pulled you down too?"

Zhi smiled sadly, "It was, but it was my fault." She looked like she was struggling with words, so he didn't press her harder. When he didn't think she would say anything else about it, she spoke "I felt like being in love with him wasn't enough. There were just so many obstacles for us to fight… I didn't think we could do it… So we went our separate ways. Truth is, I was a coward." Zhi could feel his eyes on her, but she forced herself not to look at him. "I was scared to death that I was going to get hurt, so... I ran." Her train of thought made her sad smile turn into a loving one, "Now, I know better."

"Are you back with him?" He asked, trying to ignore his revolving insides.

Zhi tilted her head and she looked hopeful, "I would like to think yes, but we haven't had _the talk_ yet, so… I don't want to assume…"

Adrien simply nodded. And they went back to a comfortable silence, a lighter one. Talking to Zhi had always felt easier than talking to anyone else, and talking about his insecurities with her after such a long time of being apart, felt great. He felt lighter, like his doubts had become smaller somehow, now that he'd shared them with her.

"What happened to us?" He heard himself breath out. He knew what had happened, of course, and he hadn't meant to ask it aloud, but how can one be so close, have such a strong looking bond, that broke so easily? She had been at fault, but somehow, with her standing next to him like that, looking so vulnerable, he felt like what she'd done didn't really matter that much anymore.

"I don't know…" She whispered, with her throat tight. She did know that he cheated on her, but right now, she felt like there was no point in ruining the progress they'd made by throwing it in his face. They were putting it behind them.

"For what it's worth," He said, "I'm sorry." Because he was, he was sorry that he didn't connect with her sooner. And remembering Mattheo's accusations, he was sorry that he hadn't given her a chance to talk to him when she came to his house that fateful day.

Zhi looked at him, with tears in her eyes and simply nodded, unable to speak. But that was enough for him to know she was sorry too.


	20. Who she is

**_Hello my dear readers! _**

**_First of all, I think an apology is in order. I totally went off-grid for the last couple of months. I had the longest case of writer's block I've even had in my life and sadly I can't say that it's gone. This chapter was literally painful for me to write. I hope that doesn't come out on the chapter itself, but no promises here – I'm not the best person to judge it right now._**

**_Second, as I said before, I have no clue when I'm gonna find the will to fight my resistance to writing more chapters, so this time, I won't give myself any deadlines. Which I can tell, by how badly it went last time, it's not a working method for me. I do hope that you stick around for more, though. ^^_**

**_Third, I wasn't planning on ending the chapter the way I did. I was planning for it to be longer, but you've waited long enough. So bare with my cliffhangers. xD _**

**_Fourth, Thank you so so much for all your support and kind words. Honestly, that's what this chapter was truly made of. Without your reviews and comments, this would probably still have like five paragraphs. ( I'm not even kidding) You're the best!_**

**_Enjoy, xoxo_**

* * *

_**Who she is** _

"Listen, Adrien," said Thomas Astruc with a glint of amusement dancing on his eyes, "I know I said you had no creative binds to make the wardrobe, but… Taking Ladybug's iconic suit and turning it _pink,_ it's a bit much, don't you think?"

"That is not _pink_!" Adrien feigned offence, "That colour is called French rose."

"It sure as hell looks a lot like pink to me." Laughed Astruc, "Doesn't really matter what it's called. You will have to redo-it." He finished on a more serious note, "Ladybug's suit has to be red. You can add in some more black to make it less childish, but we have to keep the red."

Adrien sighed, defeated. He had known he was probably not going to get away with it right from the moment that he had started working on the suit, "Alright, but can I use a reflective fabric with pink highlights?"

"Why do you want it to be pink, Adrien?" Astruc asked, with the amusement back in his eyes. Adrien blushed faintly but held Thomas' gaze. When he didn't respond to the question, Thomas chuckled and added, "You have to redo the figurine, but I was thinking..." a glint of mischief crossed his expression, "Maybe it would be funny to make Zhi believe that that will be the actual figurine." He said pointing at the 'French rose' fabric laying on his desk. Adrien's head popped up quickly followed by the left side corner of his mouth, "I mean, why waste such a beautiful coloured-bent specimen of Ladybug's suit when you can pull such a funny prank with it?"

Adrien's smile grew, "That would be brilliant!"

* * *

[22h49 yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _Tomorrow's the day! Are you ready to meet gorgeous me, M'Lady!? ^^_

[22h53 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: _As ready as I could be!_

[22h53 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: _I think._

[22h54 yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _You think? Are you having second thoughts?_

[22h55 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: _No_.

[22h55 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: ..._But I can't help but feel a bit frightened._

[22h57 yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _Frightened? Why? I mean, I'm really nervous too, but I'm not frightened... I'm finally meeting the love of my life!_

[23h00 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: _Well, you see, that kind of comments right now don't really help me_.

[23h01 yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _Why not? It's the truth._

[23h06 yesterday]

Buggzhinette: _Because what if it isn't? What if when you see me, you get a bad surprise? What if you don't like me when we meet? What if you can't see the girl you've been talking to in me? It's pretty frightening._

[23h09 yesterday]

Chat_Noir999: _M'Lady, you scared me for a second there. Don't be frightened, please. I won't get a bad surprise when I see you. I won't only like you, I will adore you, love you with all of me. And when I look at you tomorrow, I will see you for exactly who you are: perfect._

It was the third time that Zhi was reading the text thread that she and Chat had traded the night before. She had just arrived home after the last morning of shooting for 'Where the flowers grow' and she should eat something before she left the house to meet with Chat, but she wasn't hungry. Her stomach was revolving with nerves, it was hard to breathe. She had been ready for half an hour. She hadn't taken off the make-up that the make-up-artists had done on her, she looked good and they sure did a better job than she ever would. She had on a simple pastel yellow dress with quarter sleeves, that slightly covered her knees and twirled around when she moved. Even after spending time getting ready, she still had more than one hour to get to the coffee shop they had scheduled the meeting in which was pretty close to her house, but after trying to read a book, watch some tv, and even just jump and walk around her house, she could not stay put one minute more. So, she grabbed her long grey jacket, not that she thought she would need it because the day was warm, her purse and her sunglasses and walked out the door.

She walked the longest route to the charming Caffe, taking a detour or two along the way, but she still got there way earlier than the time they'd scheduled. The coffee shop was in a corner of a building, so it had two windowed fronts. There were tables outside, but they were full of groups of more than three. Even so, she scanned the tables for the X tag (Chat's way of letting her know he was _him_), but there was none on sight, so she walked through the wooden golden painted doors and entered. Chat wasn't outside.

Inside there was a dark brown counter, with two busy waiters preparing orders, the floor had this cute dotted black and white pattern, there were some mirrors on the walls, most of them painted Nouveau Style and the tables and chairs were ornamented with flowery motifs. She loved the ambience of it. Since she moved to her house she was used to coming here.

Zhi knew she should eat something, she had barely eaten anything all morning, she had barely slept too, but who can sleep and eat right before something like this!? She was really glad that Alice hadn't been up yet this morning when she left the house. Zhi hadn't shared that she was meeting with her pen-pal with anyone. She totally would have, if Alice didn't act so weird lately whenever she brought up the matter. Thinking of it, Alice had been behaving very strangely lately, either when she talked about Chat Noir or when they had Lucy and Simon over. Honestly, Zhi felt a bit guilty, for not saying anything to her best friend about this date, but now there was nothing to be done and maybe it was for the best. She would tell her everything once she got home.

Now she only had to wait. And what a waiting nightmare this whole night and day had been!

With her heart pounding, Zhi looked around for men sitting alone that had a X tag on their table. There were two men sitting alone, one old and another around the same age as she, but no tags on either table.

With a sigh, she sat, facing the door, at a table for two and softly laid down her Catphone with the paw up, in a visible spot on the table, because that was the sign Chat would be looking for when he got there. Not that she thought he'd need it too much. Like she'd been telling him since they first started talking, she _was_ Zhi Ruo Lèi.

Soon, one of the waiters, a good looking young man, came to ask her what she wanted to have. She didn't look directly at him, she didn't want people to recognize her if possible, but since it was early, she decided to order a bottle of water while she waited. The waiter came with the water right away, he poured it in a glass, and – it could have been because she was barely breathing, or because of how distracted she was, or how nervous – she made a move to drink some water and somehow she managed to throw the napkin holder and the glass of water off of the table. The napkins floated for a moment finally landing on the floor and soaking up the water and the broken glass. Not before all the water was spilt on top of the poor waiter and the floor.

Zhi's face went instantly red. She apologised many times, and the waiter made sure to let her know that it was okay, but that didn't make her feel less mortified. WHAT IF SHE DID THAT TO CHAT!? What the hell was wrong with her! How can one do so much damage in a fraction of a second?

The waiter went away, probably to change, and the other one, a girl this time, cleaned up the glass, napkins and the water off the floor and brought a new bottle and glass.

After apologising for the last time, Zhi looked at the time, _Thirty-four minutes, fifteen more seconds to go_. She had time to recompose herself. To feign calm, at least. Oh, how she wished she knew how she'd react when he came. She imagined their conversation… How would it be? Would it be as wonderful as she hoped for? Would she stay quiet all the time? Would she talk non stop? Talk so much that he didn't even get a chance to answer her? WOULD SHE GO INTO A FULL ALICE MODE?

Her thoughts were drowning quickly and she knew she had to distract herself and fast before she chickened out and ran away from there. So she picked up her book and she tried to read. It relaxed her a bit, but she was reading it without fully reading it, her eyes focused on the same sentence over and over again. She kept looking at the door whenever it opened, at some point she started to check her Catphone too.

Twenty minutes to go!

Should she text him? Letting him know how excited she was? That she was already there!?

_No._ She sighed. He hadn't texted her either, so she should wait like a normal person.

Fifteen minutes to go!

Ten minutes to go!

At this point, her heart was beating so loud that she was sure that the people sitting at the table next to her could hear it. She made an even bigger effort to try to focus on the book and not check the time anymore. This was it! He was going to come to her table and touch her shoulder, or her hand, and say _Hi_ and a witty pun with a dazzling smile! The minute she thought it, she felt a warm tingling in those exact spots, her shoulder and her hand as if he'd already touched them. A shiver ran down her spine.

She had to look her best and if possible like she didn't even notice the time pass! Which was certainly a really hard thing to do, because that meant not looking at her Catphone to see the clock, or never look up whenever the door of the cafe opened and closed.

After the longest minutes in her life, she gave up and finally looked at the time.

She shouldn't have, because what she felt when she saw the time was like a punch in the gut. Chat was seven minutes late, and there were no new messages from him.

_It's alright!_ She thought, _He is just a little bit late!_

But she kept glancing at her phone and the door from time to time.

Ten minutes late.

…

Sixteen.

Twenty-five.

By this point, she had laid down her book. There was no way she could focus on that. Did something happen to Chat? He should have said something already, right? She looked at her phone, wondering if she should text him. There had to be a reason for him to be so late, right!? Maybe he got caught up in work. She knew he had to work in the morning… But if he couldn't do it he would have warned her, _right?_ Zhi tried to focus on her breathing. What if he had had an accident? She grabbed her Catphone like she was holding her life in it and began to type only to pause again.

…

But, what if…

...

What if he _had _come?

...

What if he was _there_ on the scheduled time? Or even _before_ that?

Zhi stopped writing and tears pricked her eyes.

_What if he saw me, and … ran?_

This thought hit her harder than she'd expected because it was a real possibility.

_He might not want anything to do with me. He hates me as a celebrity._

Zhi drank her water and decided she needed something stronger, so she ordered a glass of wine.

She needed to think rationally.

Zhi rested her forehead in her palms and shut her eyes closed. She could send him a text and end this agonizing pain the minute he answered. But what if he did not answer… If he had gotten in some kind of accident and was knocked out, he would not answer or read the text… If he read it but didn't answer… Well, we'd all know what that would mean, right? Part of her wanted it to happen because that would mean that he wasn't hurt, and that was the next blow she took.

Zhi held in a frustrated sigh, the moment the door of the cafe opened. Her head popped up violently from her head and she had to contain herself not to groan. Lady Luck was not on her side today.

What the heck was _he_ doing there!? Didn't he have work to do?

She tried not to roll her eyes when he walked up to her and her grip on her Catphone doubled.

"Hi, there!" She let herself say when he stopped near her table. The quicker she'd be into it, the quicker she'd be out of it, "What a coincidence, what are you doing here?"

* * *

Adrien was going to arrive at the cafe early.

Of course he was. He could not wait another minute in the hotel, it was even worse because he had no one to help him pass the time. Everyone else was on the set recording, so he was left alone and it was driving him crazy.

As Adrien walked up the street towards the charming old Caffe, he could barely stop himself from running. Not that it would make a lot of difference. He'd arrive thirty minutes early, give or take, and it was very unlikely that she'd be there already.

On the way, a tiny florist shop caught his eye, and he decided he might as well buy his Lady some flowers. After all, he had the time to go in. There were many options to pick from, and in a fit of panic, he realized he had no idea what kind of flowers he should get her.

"Do you need any help, sweetheart?", said the flower shopkeeper, barely lifting her eyes from the bouquet she was putting together.

Adrien turned to look at her with his head trying to decide what to get. The old lady had her glasses on the tip on her nose and was carefully adding some greens to the sunflowers on her hands.

"Yes." He nodded, some help would be deeply appreciated since he had no idea what to pick. "Please." He added, clearing his throat.

If the flowers were for Zhi, he'd probably go with some lotus flowers because those were her favourites, or maybe some _salmon_ roses just to make fun of the face she'd make, followed by a reluctant smile caused by his laughter. But he wasn't shopping for his EX, and even though he had a feeling that his lady would love some lotus, those were out of the question.

The woman nodded as she laid the flowers, she was working on, carefully on her counter and turned her full attention to him. There was a glimpse of recognition in her eyes, but she didn't say anything about having a celebrity in her store. Instead, she gave him a warm smile, that somehow reduced his angst and repeated: "What can I help you with?"

He frowned, lost to what he was looking for, "I don't know…"

"Alright, no need to look so worried, sweetheart," she added, laughing it off with a smile, "First of all, what do you need flowers or plants for?"

"I'm about to meet this beautiful Lady for a date."

Before he was finishing the sentence, she was already nodding knowingly, "And I'm assuming you don't know this Lady's preference in flowers?"

He shrugged, "We never really talked about it directly, but I know she knows her way around the meanings of flowers, so I didn't want to just grab a random bunch."

"I see… So a predictable bouquet of roses is off the table then?"

"Not really…" Adrien answered, lost in thoughts, "and I don't see why a rose bouquet has to be predictable."

The old lady smiled at this, "I agree." Then, she walked to a zone in the shop where the roses were exposed and he followed, "How about colours? Any of these captivate you?"

Adrien looked at the big selection of colours and some did _cat_ivated him! "Can you put together a flower arrangement with only black and red roses?"

The woman lifted her eyebrow at his wide grin, "I can, but I must warn you, sweetheart, black roses might not be the best to give to your love interest. Especially if she knows the meaning of flowers, they are often related to failed romance and broken hearts."

"I am hoping that together with the red ones it means something different for her." He was confident that his Lady would look past the meaning of the flowers and see that he was trying to put together a Miraculous Ladybug themed bouquet.

"Alright then…" Said the woman picking up some of the most beautiful roses she had, "How many do you want, sweetheart?"

"I will leave that up to you, but if possible don't make it too big or exaggerated" Adrien answered, he didn't want people to have reasons to look at them and recognize him. He was feeling excited, though! The nervousness was still there, obviously, but he knew he had something to give her and, with that, another idea popped in his head, "Is there any chance that you have catnip flowers?" he asked the flower lady.

Her brows raised higher than the first time, "I do, but the ones I have are lilac… They won't go well with red and black…"

"There's no way of making it look good?" he asked, disappointed.

The woman frowned, clearly thinking of a solution, followed by an expression that made Adrien wonder if she was fighting with herself. Finally, she said with a sigh, not very satisfied with the solution she had for him, "I could use the greens of the plant around the roses?"

Adrien beamed at her, "That sounds perfect."

She chuckled, returning to her station with the flowers to start on the arrangement, "For someone who didn't know what to get, you are taking with you an incredibly specific request, sweetheart!"

He nodded, happy with the choice. He still had around twenty minutes, so he was not worried about being late. He did wonder if she was already at the coffee shop, and just that thought made him want to ask the flower saleswoman to go faster, but he wanted the bouquet to look perfect, so he held it in.

Adrien left the store with a beautiful ladybug bouquet of roses and catnip! He now had an icebreaker with it. He just hoped she'd notice it and find it funny as he did. She was his catnip.

He had now ten minutes to get to the Caffe, and he knew it would take him less than two to arrive. This notion hit him differently than he was expecting. His whole body was overwhelmed with rush and excitement, but also with fear. All her suggestions and concerns about the possibility of him not liking her when he saw her… They could easily turn to his side, aka her not liking him. How heartbreaking it would be... He was absolutely sure he was going to still love her, no matter what she looked like. He loved her for _Who_ she was. But she did have a lot of doubts… Was it possible that she wouldn't love him when she saw him? Being the girlfriend of a celebrity was pretty hard…

He shook it off when he realised he had stopped walking. She was already at the Caffe now, for sure, and he would not let himself stop to think and let the fear overtake him. With a deep inhale, he kept moving.

His heart started beating faster when he saw the little Caffe down the road and that made him walk faster. When he was closer, he stopped to catch his breath. He didn't want to go inside breathing heavily, like he'd been running. That wouldn't look good. She might think he'd forgotten about their date or something like that. He did not want to leave a first bad impression. He looked at the clock: seven minutes to the date. He was totally on time. He decided he could focus on his breathing for two more minutes and then go inside. He checked the flowers and then checked himself on the window of the Caffe's neighbour store. He looked pretty presentable.

Adrien looked at the Caffe's door. So close to him… _This was it._

She was already there. For _sure_.

Without a thought to it, he peeked through the Caffe's window and scanned for a girl alone.

He felt his stomach sink when he recognized Zhi Ruo, sitting alone reading what looked like a very interesting book.

_Fuuu** my life._

Could his life get any harder?

By some crazy stupid random reason, Zhi Ruo Léi was sitting at the same Caffe where he was meeting his Lady!

_His Lady!_

Zhi being there had thrown him out of the track, he scanned the little Caffe, focusing on the girls sitting alone, but Zhi was literally the only one.

His throat went tight and his stomach furiously fought itself. Was she not coming?

With a heavy heart, Adrien's eyes went back to Zhi. He really hated that she was there. Sitting with perfect posture, reading her interesting book, in her designer's yellow dress and her stupid shiny hair and her intelligent eyes, and her glass of wine laying maybe a bit too close to the board of the table near her idiotic phone with Chat Noir's paw, and her–

–

– _the Catphone –_

_No._

_Not _ **her** _._

Adrien's mind started a raging journey on trying to find some kind of proof that Zhi wasn't really the owner of that phone. She couldn't be...

But all he could find was proof that she actually was.

First of all, that had been the name she'd introduced herself with...

And… All the talks about how she thought he was going to hate her… Hadn't he been perfectly clear when they'd started talking that he hated Zhi Ruo Léi? That had been the reason they'd started talking in the first place!

_It does matter who I am._

This statement rang in his ears in Zhi's voice and that made him realize with great shock that His Lady had always sounded like Zhi in his head.

He had said that it mattered _Who_ she was, of course it did! But that wouldn't change how he'd feel about her! He remembered feeling offended that she thought so little of him.

To which she answered, and this he remembered perfectly clear, because it had broken his heart:

_Wrong again._

She had been right… This _should _change everything…

He shouldn't _care_ about Zhi! Even if she was Bugzhinette!

Then why was this so painful?

Truth be told, he didn't even hate Zhi that much anymore…

If he was completely honest with himself, it _did_ change everything, except the fact that he was in love with her. Because if he wasn't, why the hell did this hurt so much?

Not that it changed anything… He was NOT going to get back together with her! And that only made it hurt more, because he knew she was the last girl on earth he'd give another shot to. And they had been so close to becoming sort of friends now…

Apologies on a rooftop be damned, he was not going to do the same mistake again. He knew he wouldn't recover a second time.

How did he not see it before?

He sighed in frustration...

He did know _how_. He hadn't wanted to.

He had seen what he wanted to see.

Adrien took a good look at his surroundings and realized he wasn't near the Caffe anymore. He'd stormed off and was now sitting on the grass of a small park ten minutes away from the Caffe and that somewhere along the way he must have dropped his flowers, because he no longer had them.

He let his head fall in between his knees again, feeling the despair crawling in like venom.

Did she _know_? Had she been mocking him this whole time?

He had told her who he was, so she could very well have known who he was.

She could have done it on purpose. Make him fall for her again… But to what end?

Was this a very elaborate prank?

Was this for the sake of good publicity again?

'_**I'm sorry, I can't hold it back any longer.**_

_ **I was only pretending for the sake of good publicity. The truth is I never loved you. You can't really blame me, can you? How could I ever be in love with someone like you?** _

_**Don't call me because I won't be able to recognize your number.**_'

She had done it before…

Had she done it again?

Adrien thought she'd grown and become a better person, that was why he was giving her as Zhi Ruo a second chance, but had she? She was literally the best actress he'd ever seen. She could easily use that to make him want to forgive her and give her another chance. Although, if she thought this was a good way to do that, she was _wrong_ as can be.

He had to see it for himself. He knew she was a good actress, but if she had made this up, she was going to have to lie to his face.

Adrien got up and started walking towards the Caffe again, this time with the solemn purpose of unmasking Zhi Ruo Léi once and for all.

_Was it possible that she didn't know, tho?_ A tiny voice whispered in his mind.

_She did tell you her real name and you didn't believe her. Maybe she didn't believe you either._

He did remember chuckling with amusement when she'd tell him her name. He also remembered telling her his real name, knowing that she would probably not believe him. I mean, come on! What were the odds?

And she did seem true when she talked about the man she was in love with. With a punch in the stomach, it hit him that man she was talking about, just a week ago underneath the stary sky, was _him_.

She'd smiled sadly, with the moon beaming on her face and her dress glowing in the night, the dress he had unknowingly made for _her_, and had told him how her heartbreak had been her fault for not believing, for thinking their love wasn't enough, for being a coward. And how her face lit up with love, love for _him_, when she said she knew better now. That she wanted to be with him…

That couldn't have been all fake… Could it?

The Caffe across the street seemed to mock him now. He was about to enter that establishment to get heartbroken. He knew that. He could simply walk away. Pretend he'd never had a penpal. Pretend that he was never even there, that Zhi was nothing more than a coworker… But he knew he wouldn't. He couldn't. Heartbreak or not, he still had to go in. He would never be able to live with the 'what if'. Adrien didn't believe in soulmates or destiny, but… What if she really didn't know?

_What if she had left already?_

With that thought startling him, he crossed the street and entered the small Caffe. He didn't need to scan for her, because he knew where she was. Her head popped up in his direction with the sound of the door opening and their eyes met. The moment she recognised him, her eyes went from hopeful to disappointed, and he felt so upset that he had to remind himself that that was a good sign.

He didn't even pause, he walked straight to her, forcing himself to look casual and friendly. He wanted to know what she knew.

"Hi, there!" Zhi said awkwardly, the minute he was close enough, "What a coincidence, what are you doing here?"

"Nothing much, passing by!" Adrien answered, focused on keeping his cool, "Just love this Little Caffe! Don't you just love this Little Caffe!?" _Great. Now he was babbling_. He cleared his throat, "What about you?"

"I– I'm–" She looked abashed and Adrien realised he didn't remember the last time Zhi Ruo had actually stammered, "Nothing much really, yeah." She giggled embarrassed, glancing at the door "Just readin' ma' book here!"

He lifted his eyebrows at that comic accent, "Is that so!?" he could see she wanted to slap herself for that and it only made him want to tease her more.

"Yep! Really good book!" She said looking at the clock on her Catphone and the door again, she couldn't possibly be faking this, right? "So i–if it's okay with you, I would like to go back to it…" She added with what he was sure it was supposed to be a warm apologetic smile but looked more like a simper.

"Oh, come on, Zhi! Let's catch up!" He said sitting on the chair meant for him. Her smile dropped and eyes went wide open, "You said today was your last day of shooting! How did that go?" Adrien had to grip on every single drop of self-control not to laugh at Zhi's panicky face.

Zhi paused for a moment and drank all the left wine in her cup, bottom's up style, as if it was liquid courage, "Okay, actually," Zhi said really quickly, clear in her face that she might regret saying it, but also that she couldn't care less – or maybe that was the wine shot –, "I'm waiting for someone."

Adrien grinned widely and he leaned on to her side of the table, supported by his elbows, "Oh!" Zhi gulped at his closeness, suddenly not so keen to glance at the door, "Someone… Like... a _date_?" he asked, thoroughly disregarding the fact that she had just drunk half a cup of wine in one go without even blinking.

Zhi's eyes popped back open and she pushed him away looking terrified, "Yes. Like a date." She said coldly, "So if you don't mind, leave."

"Isn't that something!" Adrien said feigning excitement, completely ignoring her request, "What's he like?"

"That's none of your business!" Zhi exhaled, clearly trying to calm herself down. He almost pitted her, almost. But he was enjoying this way too much.

"Is he handsome? What's his height?" He asked, his grin growing bigger by the second.

"Can you leave?"

"Eye colour?"

"Leave."

"Hair colour?"

"Adrien…" The warning tone didn't go unnoticed.

Zhi was now glaring at him with such intensity that he felt like maybe he really should stop the funny business, but part of him just wanted to know more. Know for sure that this wasn't a highly elaborate lie. "Wait-a-minute!" He said in a mocking way, "You don't know! Do you?"

The way her face fell from angry to hopeless hit him harder than anything else had that day. Harder than the realisation that Zhi was BuggZhinette. Especially now, that he knew.

"Adrien." Zhi let out, looking at him and then to the door. It was less of a warning now.

Adrien could never tell you why, if you'd ask later, but he still kept going, "Oh My! Miss Léi, are you waiting for your blind date? How'd _that_ happen!? Did Alice set you both up!? Without a picture!?" To his horror, he just kept going, "Don't tell me you are on a dating app! Ah, but that wouldn't make sense, because you don't know what he looks like and a dating app would have had pictures, right?! Oh! Oh my! Is the man you are _in love _with your secret penpal!?–" Zhi turned to look at him, red, with her eyes filling up with tears and anger.

"If you stay on that chair for five more seconds I'll get you thrown out of this establishment." That was when the third hit of the day came. She was mad at him. Really Mad. And not only mad because he was talking to her right now… No. She was Mad because Chat Noir had left her hanging. Zhi was mad at him for not coming to meet her. And with that realisation, also came the irony of it all.

Without being able to contain himself, he guffawed.

"You think this is funny!?" She let out with helplessness on her voice.

He felt instantly bad for laughing, of course, but was still unable to contain it. Chat Noir was there! He has come! And she was throwing him out!

"I actually do think it's a bit amusing." He confessed. She was about to say something else, but he cut her right before it, "But if that is what you want…" He paused as if he was scanning her for an ulterior wish, like him staying, but didn't find one, so he finished the sentence getting up from his chair, sighing deeply, "I will leave." The look of relief on her face hurt way more than he thought it would, "But I want all the details later!" She quickly nodded, eager for him to leave, and he did, "Take care, Zhi."

Zhi nodded thankfully, and whispered with a heavy heart, "You too, Adrien."


	21. Terrible Idea

** _Terrible idea_ **

"Hi there! It makes us very satisfied that you have been enjoying our establishment," Zhi's thoughts were interrupted by the waitress that had cleaned up for her water-mess earlier that afternoon, "but we are closed now." The girl giggled sheepishly, but clearly bothered by Zhi's lack of consideration. The lights of the establishment were out already! How many hints did this woman need?

Zhi, who had been holding back tears through the afternoon, looked at her waitress, finally facing the dark reality. The sun was already down, "Already?"

The girl wasn't ready to hear Zhi's voice so weak, or maybe it was the realisation that her customer was clearly going through some issues, so she did something she had never done: she sat right across Zhi and asked, "Do you need _anything_?"

Finally, a traitor tear rolled down Zhi's cheek, but she was quick to wipe it and vehemently shook her head, knowing she couldn't trust her voice.

"Did that guy that stopped by do anything to you?" the girl tried again, she clearly was not the type of person that was used to talk with other people out of shyness, but she really wanted to go home not feeling like a jerk.

"No. He is my friend and I kicked him out." Zhi knew she shouldn't have started talking. The minute she did, she started a flood. The waitress waited patiently for her to get hold of her tears, "I-I was waiting and he– He– wasn't–supposed–to–be–here and, and– the gu-guy–I–was–waiting–for– He, He–He never–"

"Your date stood you up!?" The waitress asked shocked.

Zhi grabbed more napkins to contain her tears and nodded, feeling madder than ever at herself. Unable to speak because she was crying over a man. AGAIN. How could she have been so blind? So stupid!? She KNEW in her gut this would happen!

"But… But you're… you're Zhi Ruo Léi!" The waitress said as if the thought of a girl like her being stood up was an absurd notion.

Zhi was caught by surprise with this. She thought that no one had recognised her, because no one had bothered her with autographs and such, but she had been wrong. Clearly.

"Yeah. Well, I guess no one is stood-up-proof" Zhi said frustrated, drinking the rest of her fifth, or maybe seventh? glass of wine. This was not good. Zhi Ruo Léi, crying over a date in the mid of Paris? Charlotte was gonna kill her.

"Hey, you're safe. I couldn't care less about gossip." Said the waitress, interpreting Zhi's exasperation correctly, "I literally just want to live my life away from the spotlight, I'm way too scared of the public. I admire your work, but I wouldn't want to bother you."

Zhi nodded again, suddenly feeling exhausted, "I better go."

"You need me to call a cab or something? You have had a lot of wine and not eaten." The girl asked as politely as possible.

"No, I live just around the corner." Zhi answered, feeling slightly dizzy getting up, "I'll be just fine."

"Miss Léi?" The waitress called when Zhi was reaching the door, "You don't need him. You are the face of bravery! Mulan! Freaking Ladybug! You are amazing, Miss Léi."

"Call me Zhi." She smiled weakly, the tears running freely down her face, "Thank you,...?"

"Meline", Meline introduced herself with a self-conscious smile.

"Thank you, Meline."

"You're welcome, Zhi."

The walk home took longer than it should have. Zhi was tipsy and didn't really go back home because she knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself together the moment she steped inside. When she did arrive, Alice was already there, cooking dinner in the kitchen, Zhi said her best okay "Hi" and walked straight to her room. She just wanted to be alone and cry herself to sleep.

Alice noticed that something wasn't right, so she turned off the stove and followed her best friend upstairs.

"Zhi, did the shooting go bad today?" Alice asked, turning the corner of Zhi's bedroom and freezing where she stood when she found Zhi lying on the bed, holding on to her pillow and sobbing her heart out, "Hey, sweetie, what happened?" She said with a soft voice, laying with Zhi to hold her. The crying worsened with this, so Alice simply whispered soft comforting words, "Shhh, It's alright…" "You are safe" "Let it all out..." And that's how Zhi fell asleep after some long hours.

Alice got up carefully not to wake her up. She had no idea what had happened, and that was the most worrying of it all. There was never a time when Zhi got so heartbroken she couldn't speak to her.

Alice did then what she thought was best and called Charlotte, Zhi's manager, telling her that Zhi was ill and shouldn't leave the house tomorrow. Charlotte showed the concern a friend would and agreed with Alice on the matter. She was going to arrange everything and she didn't need to worry about Zhi.

Alice also wondered if she should call her own agent, asking to stay home too, for the afternoon, she didn't have anything scheduled in the morning. But decided to do so tomorrow if Zhi was still in the same state.

That night, Alice slept in Zhi's bed.

* * *

Adrien didn't go back to his hotel room right away. He had to put his thoughts together. He knew that Lucie and Simon – especially Lucie – would see something wasn't right with him, and he did not want to have to explain to them that 'His Lady' was actually Zhi, because if he did he was going to get mocked hard and then they'd start giving advice. He liked their advice, obviously, and took them really seriously, but this? This was something that he needed to do alone. To decide for himself. So he sent both his friends a text telling them he needed to be alone, and for them not to worry about him, then he turned off his phone.

He walked throughout Paris, near the Seine mostly, trying to clear his mind. The sound of the water had always helped him focus.

When it was late enough for him to know that Lucie and Simon would be asleep, he returned to the hotel. Even then, he didn't feel like going to his room, but the bar was closed and he shouldn't wander around the corridors, so he climbed up to the rooftop, mimicking his and Zhi's steps the week before.

Adrien knew he had to get his act together. He also felt incredibly guilty for leaving Zhi hanging at the Café… Was she heartbroken like he was? The thought of Zhi heartbroken because of him made his chest ache a little tighter, but he ignored it. He was already suffering because of her, _again_. He was not going to feel bad for her too.

On top of everything, tomorrow would be Zhi's first day at the studio… How was he going to do? How to act around her, now that he knew? His love-struck side just wanted to make it all alright, forget everything… Go to her, kiss her senseless and declare his undying love… I mean, she did kinda apologise on the rooftop… But his rational part was simply not okay with that. Zhi Ruo Léi had made a mess out of him once, and did _not_ apologise properly. She was doing it again, even if she wasn't aware of it! Plus, he didn't know enough about her right now for her to look trustworthy in his eyes.

What was he going to do?

What _should_ he do?–

No.

The question was: What did _he want_ to do?

Because this time he was mature enough to know that if you are doing something that doesn't feel right for yourself, you're walking halfway into a tragedy.

What did he want to do?

How was it so hard to decide?

_I'm in love with my Ex. _He tried to rationalise. _The reason it didn't work out was because she wasn't in love with me… _He couldn't have done anything about it, even if he'd tried… But now it appeared like she was in love with him too…

_It is also possible that there was a huge lack of communication between both of you, no? _Whispered a little voice in his head. Of course, that was true… They hadn't resolve things properly, everything had been very confusing at the time and the truth was he hadn't let her speak when she'd come to him…

_Okay_, he said to himself, _let's give her the benefit of the doubt. Check how she's doing tomorrow –today–_, corrected his brain (it was almost dawn), _and then see what I want to do with this. _He then traded the rooftop for his hotel room to try to sleep restlessly for a few hours before work.

* * *

When Adrien got on set the next morning, Astruc's assistant, Paul, came right up to him with an urgent pace, "Mr Devereaux, I can't believe I forgot to call you cancelling today's shooting! Everything has been so crazy today with the shooting reschedules!"

Adrien found it a bit troubling to breathe, "No shooting today? What happened?", did that mean he wasn't going to see Zhi?

"Yes, sir, well at least not for you. I'm so sorry!" Paul was clearly begging for the sake of his job.

Adrien waved his hand in a calming way, "No harm done here."

"Thank you, sir!" the man said, almost bowing, before walking away. It could have been amusing if Adrien wasn't so confused and wanted an explanation as to why was the shooting cancelled.

He entered the set, and saw Lucie, Simon and Alice together there, so he joined them, "Good morning, guys…" he said, receiving back a bunch of worried 'good mornings', "What are you doing here?" He asked Simon and Lucie, "I thought you didn't work today."

"We didn't," said Simon, "but Zhi called in sick, so they had to reschedule everything for today."

"Zhi is sick?" Adrien asked, suddenly not caring so much about how worried that made him.

His friends gave him an odd look, "Yes, she wasn't feeling well." Alice answered back, "We were actually just talking about it…"

"I can't help but worry." said Lucie, frowning, "Zhi is not the type of person that stays home when she isn't feeling well. Not the Zhi that I remember at least." Simon and Adrien nodded agreeing.

"I was the one that told her to stay home," Alice said, glancing at Adrien. It looked like she was about to say something else but refrained herself from it, "I wanted to stay home with her, but then got the call saying that they needed me. It was me or her, and she promised me she'd be fine... You know, Netflix and chill." She said, clearly unconvinced.

"I don't have anything to shoot now that she isn't here." Adrien said, "I'll check in on her."

His friends looked surprised by the offer and somehow not pleased, but he was rethinking everything in his head, so he didn't notice. Being with Zhi on set was one thing… Alone with her at her house… Could he do it? _Should_ he?

"That honestly sounds like a terrible idea, Adrien," Alice said, with a cold voice, that made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Why's that?"

Alice frowned disapprovingly as if she thought he had something to do with Zhi's illness. He probably did, but that wasn't the point. The point was, how did she know about it? "Because Zhi asked to be alone." She replied vaguely and defensive.

Adrien nodded innocently, "Okay…" he sighed, "Then I'm going back to my room. Tonight was hard. Didn't sleep much."

Alice's face softened, "Sound like a good plan."

He said his goodbyes and walked away. But not to his room. AH! Like he could sleep right now!

Good, or bad idea, Chat_Noir999 was going to check up on his Lady.

* * *

**_Hi there! I'm back and I've decided to start posting smaller chapters. I know it sucks because you have very little to read, but Hey! at least you have _something_ to read, right? xD Just the thought of writing 7k words is a total buzzkill for me right now, having smaller goals is making me more willing to write, so let's see how it goes and if you don't have to wait too long for the next one._**

**_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_**

**_Thank you for reading* Stay safe!_**


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